Japan's population plunges by 900,000 in just 1 year — worst drop in modern history as birth rates hit crisis point
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Japanese Population's Largest Decline Since 1968
Japan's Birth Rate Hits Historic Low In 2024
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Aging Population Now Nearly One-Third of Japan's Total
Rising Foreign Residents Fill Workforce Gaps Amid Declining Native Population
Rural Communities Hit Hard as Abandoned Homes Near Four Million
Japan's Oldest Resident, Tomiko Itooka, Passes at 116 Years
Japan Faces Rising Healthcare Costs as Elderly Population Expands
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Japan's population suffered a dramatic blow in 2024, decreasing by over 900,000 individuals, which is the largest decline the country has experienced since the survey began in 1968, as per a report. This dramatic reduction presents a disturbing vision of a country fighting against one of the lowest birth rates in the world, according to an AFP report.For the 16th consecutive year, Japan's population declined by 0.75% last year to approximately 120.65 million, as per the report.Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has labelled it a "quiet emergency," pledging more couple-friendly policies such as flexible working hours and free daycare with the aim of persuading couples to have children, according to the AFP report.ALSO READ: WisdomTree: These 5 looming risks could send gold prices soaring into 2026 But even with all that, the birth rate continues to decline, hitting a record low last year with barely 686,061 babies born, which was 41,227 fewer than in 2023, as per the health ministry data. The birth rate in 2024 was the lowest figure since records began in 1899, according to the AFP report.While Japan's population is aging just as quickly, as per the report. Almost a third of the population is over 65 now, one of the oldest populations in the world, as reported by AFP. While the age group between 15 and 64 made up 60%, which is a minor increase from the previous year, according to the report.ALSO READ: Nebius stock skyrockets 21% after stellar Q2 earnings — new forecast sends Wall Street buzzing As the indigenous population dwindles, increasing numbers of foreign residents are immigrating to Japan than ever before, as per AFP. At the beginning of 2025, almost 3.7 million foreigners resided in the nation, comprising approximately 3% of the total population, as reported by AFP. These foreigners tend to work in the manufacturing, hospitality and retail sectors, taking places vacated by Japan's dwindling workforce, according to the report.But the effect of the population loss hits hardest in rural communities, where thousands of houses have been left empty as younger generations migrate to urban centers or simply don't reproduce, as per the AFP report. The number of abandoned homes in Japan has increased to almost four million over the last two decades, government data released last year showed, reported AFP.Most of the homes belong to people living in major cities who have inherited them from relatives and who are unable or unwilling to keep them renovated, as reported by AFP.The world's oldest person, Japanese woman Tomiko Itooka, had passed away at the age of 116 in December last year, according to the report.Women usually have better longevity in Japan, but the expanding elderly population is leading to increasing medical and welfare costs, with a shrinking labour force to pay for it, as reported by AFP.Japan is experiencing record-low birth rates combined with a rapidly aging population, which means fewer babies are born while more people are passing away, as per the AFP report.As the native workforce shrinks, foreign residents are filling critical jobs in sectors like manufacturing, hospitality, and retail.
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