Japan sees record drop in population

Tokyo: Japan's citizen population dipped to 120.3 million as of October 2024, official data showed on Monday, marking a record drop of 898,000 people from the previous year.

The country's birth rate is among the lowest in the world, leading to big problems for society and business — a shrinking workforce and fewer consumers.

How do Japan's population figures stack up?
The fall — the 13th consecutive non-foreign population slide — was the largest since the government began collecting comparable data in 1950, according to the Interior Ministry.

Including foreign nationals, the population also fell by 550,000 people to 123.8 million — the 14th straight annual fall.

Only two prefectures, Tokyo and neighbouring Saitama, had population increases with numbers falling in the country's remaining 45 prefectures.

Akita prefecture, in the northern part of Honshu island, showed the most marked decline.

Japan's population peaked in 2008, and since then it has steadily shrunk because of a declining birthrate.

What can Japan do to halt the slide?
In a briefing, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the Japanese government had been trying to offer help to young would-be parents who feel too economically constricted to have children.

"We understand that the declining birthrate is continuing because many people who wish to raise children are not able to fulfill their wishes," Hayashi said.

The Japanese government is trying to raise wages for young people while also offering help with looking after children, he said.

"We will promote comprehensive measures to realize a society where everyone who wishes to have children can have children and raise them with peace of mind," Hayashi added.

While Japan has turned to young foreigners as a source of labor, the government has retained a strict immigration policy, only allowing in foreign workers temporarily.

In 2023, then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the government would channel some 3.5 trillion yen (about $25 billion or €23.5 billion) each year into child care and other measures to support parents.