Japan's population crisis has hit another low as the country's population fell by more than 9,00,000 in 2024, according to recent data. Japan is among the top nations facing declining birth rates. Recent data also showed a similar pattern in South Korea.
While several developed nations in the world are also witnessing low birth rates, the problem is unique in Japan’s case, where the population ratio has been declining for some years now.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who termed the situation a 'quiet emergency', is said to introduce some family-friendly measures, including free day care, to reverse the concerning trend. According to stats, Japanese population fell by a staggering 9,08,574, or 0.75 per cent, to 120.65 million.
According to the internal ministry of the country, the decline was recorded for the 16th straight year and was the largest drop noted since the survey began in 1968.
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Meanwhile, there were 3.67 million foreign nationals living in Japan as of January 1, 2025, representing almost three per cent of the total population. The number had increased to more than 124.3 million as of that date. The Japanese anti-immigration right-wing party has falsely claimed that foreigners from other countries were enjoying more welfare than Japanese nationals.
This has led to an increase in the crimes against foreign nationals living in the country, particularly against Chinese-origin citizens. Japan is also dealing with the world's second-oldest population after Monaco, according to the World Bank figures in 2024. While the number of births in Japan last year fell below 7,00,000 for the first time on record, health ministry data released in June revealed.
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