Japan population falls to 122.97 million in 2025 census

Japan’s total population, including foreign residents, fell to 122.97 million as of October 1, 2025, according to the 2025 census data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. This represents a decrease of 3.17 million people, or 2.5%, compared to the 2020 census.

The decline marks the third consecutive five-year period of shrinking population since 1920. While the number of Japanese nationals dropped by 3.5% to 119.1 million, the foreign resident population saw a significant increase of 39.8%, reaching a record high of 3.84 million. Chinese nationals comprise the largest group of foreign residents at 24%, followed by Vietnamese at 15.9%.

Demographic shifts show that 29.4% of the population is now aged 65 or older. Geographically, Tokyo was the only prefecture to record population growth, though the increase was smaller than in the previous census. Most other prefectures, including Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa, shifted from growth to decline.