Japan's native population falls below 120 million for first time in 42 years

Japan population decline Japanese nationals foreign residents record Tokyo demographic increase record migration

Japan’s resident‑registry data show that the number of Japanese nationals dropped to 119,736,483 on 1 January 2026, a 0.76 % decline of 916,744 people and the first time the native population has fallen below 120 million since 1984. The fall marks the 17th consecutive year of decline and the sharpest yearly loss recorded since the survey began in 1968.

At the same time, the foreign‑resident count rose to a record 4,031,159, an increase of 353,696 people (9.62 %). Net migration reached a new high of 720,988 new foreign residents. The combined population of Japanese and foreign residents therefore fell to 123,767,642, down 563,048 (0.45 %).

Tokyo was the only prefecture where the Japanese‑national population increased, gaining 12,540 residents, while seven prefectures recorded net social‑population growth, with Tokyo showing the largest net inflow of foreign residents at 66,661. Births in 2025 fell to about 670,000 – the lowest on record – while deaths reached roughly 1.59 million, creating a natural decrease of around 923,000.

Entities

Foreign Residents in Japan · Japan · Japanese nationals · Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan) · Tokyo · Tokyo prefecture · foreign residents

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 16 SOURCES] Japanese resident population on 1 January fell to 119,736,483, a decline of 916,744 people (‑0.76 %). www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 16 SOURCES] The combined Japanese and foreign resident population fell by 563,048 to 123,767,642. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 16 SOURCES] Births in 2025 fell to 670,467, the lowest on record, while deaths reached 1,593,475, creating a natural decrease of 923,008. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 16 SOURCES] Seven prefectures posted net social‑population growth, with Tokyo having the largest net inflow of 66,661 people. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 16 SOURCES] The decline marks the 17th consecutive year of population decrease in Japan. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 16 SOURCES] Only Tokyo recorded a rise in Japanese residents, up by 12,540 (0.09%). www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 16 SOURCES] Foreign resident population rose to 4,031,159, an increase of 353,696 people (‑9.62%), the highest level since the ministry started statistics in 2013. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 16 SOURCES] In 2025 a record 720,988 people moved to Japan, the highest annual inflow on record. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk · +11 more
[● 5 SOURCES] Japanese resident population on Jan 1 was 119,736,483, a decline of 916,744 people (‑0.76%) from the previous year. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp · taronews.tw · www.dagelijksestandaard.nl · www.pravda.sk
[● 2 SOURCES] Seven prefectures recorded net social‑population growth; Tokyo had the largest net inflow of 66,661 people. www.adnkronos.com · www.japantimes.co.jp
[● 3 SOURCES] Foreign resident population increased by 353,696 to 4,031,159, a record high since 2013. www.adnkronos.com · www.news18.com · japantoday.com
[● 3 SOURCES] The native population decline of 916,744 represents a 0.76 % year‑on‑year drop. www.adnkronos.com · www.news18.com · www.japantimes.co.jp