Japan’s population drops to 11th in the world

Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released preliminary census data on the 25th, showing a decrease for the first time. As of Oct. 1, 2020, Japan’s total population, including foreigners, was 126,226,568, a decrease of about 868,000 people, or 0.7 percent, from the previous survey in 2015. According to UN estimates, Japan’s population ranks 11th in the world, dropping out of the top 10 for the first time since comparable data became available in 1950. Regionally, the population of 38 prefectures decreased, while the Tokyo area (Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo and Kanagawa) increased by 808,000 people, making the uneven distribution of the population more and more obvious.

Japan’s total population was reported at 126 million, falling to 11th in the world, Kyodo News reported today.

Japan’s total population showed a decrease for the first time in the 2015 census, with a 0.8% drop. This census showed a slight improvement in the rate of decline due to an increase in foreigners and other factors. However, due to the impact of the New Crown epidemic, the number of births is expected to decline, etc. The outlook for the future is grim, and the government needs to take fundamental measures to cope with the population decline.

Of the 38 prefectures with declining populations, 33 prefectures have seen their rate of decline increase, with population decline accelerating. Akita, the largest prefecture in terms of population decline, was 6.2%, followed by Aomori and Iwate with 5.3%. In addition to Tokyo, the nine prefectures with population increases include Aichi, Shiga, Osaka, Fukuoka and Okinawa. Among them, Osaka increased from the previous decrease. In addition to Aichi, Shiga and Okinawa, the remaining five prefectures saw an increase. The largest increase was 4.1% in Tokyo. In terms of municipalities (Tokyo’s 23 wards are counted as 1 city), 82.4% of all 1,719 municipalities experienced a decrease in population. More than half of the 1,719 cities, towns and villages had a decline of more than 5%, accounting for 50.9% of the total.

The report cites UN estimates that Japan’s share of the world’s population is 1.6%. Among the top 20 countries, only Japan’s population decreases from 2015 to 2020.

The number of households in the country increased by 4.2 percent to 55.72 million, Kyodo News said. The average household size was 2.27 people, setting a new record for the smallest since 1970. It is reported that the number of elderly single households has increased.