Indicators
Japan's Population Plunges by Half a Million in 14th Straight Annual Fall
An intersection in Shibuya. Japan’s population woes mirror broader global patterns.
Photographer: Kentaro Takahashi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Japan’s population contracted by half a million last year, underscoring the country’s mounting challenges in tackling labor shortages and financing its social security system with a shrinking tax base.
The overall population dropped by 550,000 from the previous year to 123.8 million in 2024, extending the streak of declines to 14 years, according to data as of October 2024 released Monday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The number of Japanese nationals alone declined by 898,000, the steepest fall since comparable records began in 1950.