Japan loses 2.5% of population in five years

Shafaq News- Tokyo

Japan’s population declined by more than three million people to 123 million in 2025, marking a record 2.5% drop over five years and the steepest decline since the country began conducting national censuses in 1920, according to official data released on Friday.

The number of births also declined for the tenth consecutive year in 2025, falling to 705,809.

Government spokesperson Minoru Kihara told reporters that the figures “once again confirmed that population decline in our country is accelerating.”

Japan has one of the world’s lowest birth rates and one of its oldest populations, placing growing pressure on the country’s workforce and social welfare systems. While immigration is often proposed as a solution to Japan’s shrinking population, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has called for stricter measures to limit the inflow of foreign nationals.