Japan population sees record 5-year drop
Japan’s population dropped by a record 2.5 percent in the span of five years, census data showed Friday, as the world’s fourth-largest economy struggles to overcome demographic woes.
A preliminary tally of Japan’s census, released every five years, found that the population slipped to 123 million people in 2025—more than 3 million fewer than when the survey was last carried out in 2020.
Tougher measures
It was the biggest decrease since the twice-a-decade survey started in 1920, and more than triple the decline recorded between 2015 and 2020.
The data “once again confirmed the population decline in our nation is deepening,” top government spokesperson Minoru Kihara told reporters.
Japan has one of the world’s lowest birth rates and an aging population.
While immigration is often floated as a solution to Japan’s shrinking demographic, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is pushing for tougher measures against an inflow of foreigners.
Official data showed that the number of births in Japan fell for the 10th straight year in 2025, with a total of 705,809 babies born.
Central and local government officials have tried with limited success in recent years to incentivize marriage and childbirth, from launching dating apps to boosting child-rearing allowances and subsidizing parental leave.
According to United Nations population estimates for 2025, Japan is the world’s 12th most populous country and accounts for 1.5 percent of the global total.
Among the top 20 most populated countries, Japan, China, Russia, and Thailand recorded declines between 2020 and 2025, with Japan posting the steepest.
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