Japan’s population fell 2.5% between 2020 and 2025, census shows

Japan’s total population, including foreign residents, was 122.9 million as of Oct. 1, 2025, shrinking by 3.17 million, or 2.5%, from five years before, census data released by the internal affairs ministry showed Tuesday.

This was the third consecutive decline in the five-year survey that dates back to 1920.

The number of Japanese nationals fell 3.5% to 119.1 million, following a 1.4% decline in the previous 2020 census, while that of foreign residents climbed 39.8% to a record high of 3.84 million.

Chinese nationals accounted for the largest share of foreign residents, at 24%, followed by Vietnamese, at 15.9%, and South and North Koreans, at 10.4%. In the previous survey, South and North Koreans accounted for 15.8%, exceeding the 13.9% share of Vietnamese residents.

The total population comprised 59.7 million men and 63.2 million women. The percentage of people age 65 and older rose from 28.5% to 29.4%.

Among the 47 prefectures, Tokyo was the only one to record population growth. The increase in Tokyo was smaller than in the previous census, while Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi, Shiga, Fukuoka and Okinawa shifted from population growth to decline. The remaining 39 prefectures posted larger population declines.

The total number of households stood at 57.3 million. Each household had 2.1 members on average, down from 2.21. Yamagata had the largest number, at 2.41, while Tokyo had the lowest, at 1.85.