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It was preserved as a record on September 2; the timeline below shows how it unfolded, with sources. Get the briefing to follow the top situations still developing: three emails a week, sourced and in order.

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2 clusters · 24 sources · 5 days · First seen · Last updated

Japan population decline below 120 million

Overview

In late July 2026, Japan’s resident‑registry data showed the native Japanese population fell to 119,736,483 on 1 January 2026, marking the first time the figure dropped below 120 million since 1984 and the 17th consecutive year of decline. The decline was driven by a record low of about 670,000 births and a death toll of roughly 1.59 million, creating a natural decrease of around 923,000. At the same time, the foreign‑resident count rose to a record 4.03 million, a 9.6 % increase, pushing the combined population of Japanese nationals and foreign residents to about 123.8 million.

A few days later, early August 2026 reports confirmed the population dip and added that the total fertility rate had slipped to 1.14, the lowest in a decade, while the median age reached 49.9 years, making Japan the world’s second‑oldest society. Analysts highlighted the resulting labour shortages, higher social‑security costs and a shrinking tax base as the demographic shift deepens.

Entities

Japan · foreign residents · foreign residents in Japan · Foreign Residents in Japan · Tokyo

Timeline

  1. about 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Japan's population drops below 120 million for first time in 42 years

    Japan's population fell to 119.74 million, below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, amid a 1.14 fertility rate and rising foreign residents, deepening labour and fiscal challenges.

  2. about 2 months ago

    [BUSINESS] 22 sources
    Japan's native population falls below 120 million for first time in 42 years

    Japan’s native population fell to 119.7 million, the first sub‑120 million count in 42 years, while foreign residents rose to a record 4.0 million; total population dropped to 123.8 million.

Sources

bitesize.hu · cafef.vn · comemo.nikkei.com · conexaomarilia.com.br · culturalpolicy.com · cursorinfo.co.il · dagelijksestandaard.nl · hojemacau.com.mo · japannews24.com · japantoday.com · kaigai.ch · m.soha.vn · miau.pl · mobil.n-tv.de · news.yam.md · nowjakarta.co.id · osul.com.br · saranemag.ir · sdk.mk · seoul.co.kr · silvereco.fr · spravy.pravda.sk · taronews.tw · valor.globo.com