TOKYO - Japan's total population, including foreign residents, stood at 122.97 million as of October 1, 2025, down 3.17 million from the previous census in 2020, marking only the third decline since the national census began in 1920.
According to final figures from the 2025 national census released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the country's population continued to contract over the five-year period.
The number of foreign residents, however, rose to a record 3.84 million, an increase of 1.09 million from the 2020 census.
Japan's population expanded rapidly in the decades following World War II. The population stood at about 72 million in 1945 before rising to 84.11 million in 1950, reflecting the postwar baby boom and the return of Japanese nationals from overseas territories and former battlefronts.
Growth continued during Japan's period of rapid economic expansion. The population reached 94.30 million in 1960 and surpassed 100 million during the 1960s, standing at 104.67 million by the 1970 census.
The total climbed to 117.06 million in 1980 and 123.61 million in 1990. Growth slowed markedly as birth rates declined, but the population still rose to 126.93 million in 2000 and 127.77 million in 2005.
Japan's census population reached 128.06 million in 2010, the highest figure recorded in a national census. The trend then reversed, with the population falling to 127.09 million in 2015 and 126.15 million in 2020.
The 2025 figure of 122.97 million means Japan has lost more than 5 million people since the 2010 census peak, underscoring the accelerating demographic shift caused by a persistently low birth rate and an aging population.
At the same time, the continued increase in foreign residents is becoming a more significant factor in Japan's demographic picture. The foreign population reached 3.84 million in 2025, up 1.09 million from five years earlier and the highest level on record.
Source: テレ東BIZ
