Manazuru Town, Kanagawa Prefecture—morning of May 29. (©Sankei/Shuntaro Suzuki)
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The Japanese government has released preliminary figures from the 2025 national census, showing that as of October 1 last year, Japan's total population, including foreign residents, stood at 123.05 million. This is a decrease of 3.097 million from the previous survey two years earlier. The decline rate of 2.5% is the largest on record, compared with 0.7% in the previous survey. This marks the third consecutive drop since the 2015 census, when Japan's population first began to fall.
It has been about two and a half years since the government formulated the "Children's Future Strategy" in December 2023, which included measures to address the low birthrate.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has acknowledged that the declining births and population loss "are eroding the vitality of our country" and has signaled her intention to formulate a comprehensive strategy.
Regional Trends
Out of the 47 prefectures, only Tokyo and Okinawa saw population growth, while 45 prefectures experienced declines. Saitama and Chiba recorded decreases for the first time since surveys began in 1920, while Kanagawa and Aichi saw declines for the first time in the postwar period.
The Greater Tokyo Area—Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa—grew to 36.986 million, pushing its share of the national population above 30% for the first time.
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Author: The Sankei Shimbun
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