Historic Record of Population Decline in Japan Amid Surge in Foreign Residents

Amid a surge in the number of foreign nationals residing in Japan, the country's population has decreased for the fifteenth consecutive year, marking a historic low last year. According to official statistics from Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs released on Wednesday, August 25, last year saw 730,000 births, the lowest number in decades. Additionally, 1.58 million deaths were recorded, which is also a historic figure. As of January 1 this year, Japan's population stood at 124.9 million, with three percent being foreign nationals. The population was approximately 127 million in 2009. The report also indicates that the number of foreign nationals in Japan increased by 11 percent last year, surpassing 3.3 million. Earlier, Japan's Immigration Bureau reported that in 2023, the number of foreign nationals reached 3.4 million, with 60 percent being skilled labor. Most of these individuals are aged between 15 and 64. Last year, 330,000 foreign residents were added, marking the highest growth in decades. Since 2015, over one million foreign nationals have settled in Japan, with one-third of that number occurring last year. According to the Associated Press, research shows that Japanese youth are increasingly losing interest in marriage and childbearing. Contributing factors include rising living costs, job market conditions, and prevailing gender biases and discrimination in society, which place a heavier burden on women, especially working mothers. The Japanese government has allocated $34 billion in financial incentives for young couples to encourage childbearing this year, particularly for child care and education support. The government plans to allocate at least $23 billion annually in tax incentives over the next three years to encourage youth to have children.