Japanese Population Falls in All 47 Prefectures for First Time
- Latest data illustrates demographic crisis facing PM Kishida
- Number of foreigners ticks up but doesn’t cover shortfall
Last year, the number of children born nationwide fell under 800,000 for the first time since records began in 1899.
Photographer: Noriko Hayashi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The number of Japanese fell in all the country’s 47 prefectures for the first time since the data has been tracked, according to a study released by the government, even as the number of foreign residents inched up to a record.
The population of Japanese nationals shrank by more than 800,000 to 122.4 million over the year to Jan. 1, in the latest reminder of a demographic crisis Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said threatens the country’s ability to function. The data, based on local government residents’ records, was released Wednesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.