Nearly a million more deaths than births in Japan last year

Japan experienced its sharpest population drop on record last year, with nearly one million more deaths than births, according to new government data. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that the number of Japanese nationals fell by 908,574 in 2024. Births totaled just 686,061—the lowest since records began in 1899—while deaths approached 1.6 million, meaning more than two people died for every child born. This marks the 16th straight year of population decline, putting mounting pressure on the country’s pension and healthcare systems.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has called the aging population a “quiet emergency” and vowed to expand family-friendly measures such as free childcare and more flexible work arrangements. Yet decades of policies aimed at boosting birth rates have had little effect, hindered by persistent economic and cultural barriers. High living costs, stagnant wages, and a rigid work culture have discouraged many from starting families, while traditional gender roles continue to leave women with limited support as primary caregivers.

Foreign residents, meanwhile, reached a record 3.6 million as of January 1, 2025—about 3% of Japan’s total population—thanks in part to new initiatives like a digital nomad visa and upskilling programs. Still, immigration remains politically sensitive in the largely conservative country. Overall, Japan’s population shrank 0.44% from the previous year to about 124.3 million, with those aged 65 and older now making up nearly 30%—the second-highest proportion in the world after Monaco. The working-age share has fallen to roughly 60%, while rural depopulation accelerates, leaving millions of homes abandoned over the past two decades.