In 2024, about ***** percent of the population in Japan were foreign nationals, up from about **** percent in 2015. The total number of foreign residents in the same year amounted to approximately **** million people.

In the fiscal year 2024, around **** percent of the Japanese population were stockholders. The share of people investing in stocks increased compared to the previous year.

The share of people aged 65 years and older in Japan stood at ***** percent in 2023. In a steady upward trend, the share rose by ***** percentage points from 1960.

Actual value and historical data chart for Japan Population Ages 65 And Above Percent Of Total

Over the last decade, Japan’s population has aged more and more, to the point where more than a quarter of Japanese were 65 years and older in 2022. Population growth has stopped and even reversed, since it’s been in the red for several years now.

It’s getting old

With almost 30 percent of its population being elderly inhabitants, Japan is considered the “oldest” country in the world today. Japan boasts a high life expectancy, in fact, the Japanese tend to live longer than the average human worldwide. The increase of the aging population is accompanied by a decrease of the total population caused by a sinking birth rate. Japan’s fertility rate has been below the replacement rate for many decades now, mostly due to economic uncertainty and thus a decreasing number of marriages.

Are the Japanese invincible?

There is no real mystery surrounding the ripe old age of so many Japanese. Their high average age is very likely due to high healthcare standards, nutrition, and an overall high standard of living – all of which could be adopted by other industrial nations as well. But with high age comes less capacity, and Japan’s future enemy might not be an early death, but rather a struggling social network.

The majority of Japanese adhere to Shintoism, a traditional Japanese religion focusing on rituals and worship at shrines. In 2021, around 48.6 percent of the total population of Japan participated in Shinto practices. Closely behind is Buddhism, with more than 46 percent of the population adhering to its practices. Most Japanese thus practice both religions. The original ShintoShintoism adherents worship spirits or gods at shrines, often publicly, through rituals and traditions. Shintoism is deeply ingrained in the Japanese culture and way of life, but the number of followers has been decreasing over the past years, as has the number of Japanese who are adhering to any kind of religion. Tradition seems to have to make way for modern attitudes and choices – still the number of people who call themselves Shinto adherents is quite high, even if they do not actively practice it. Everything zen in BuddhismWhile Shintoism seems to become a thing of the past, the number of Buddhists, on the other hand, has been stable over the last decade, and if anything, has only slightly decreased. Japan is, in fact, among the countries with the largest Buddhist communities, right after China, of course, and Thailand. This might be due to Buddhism being able to adapt much easier to modern times and its adherents’ everyday lives, as well as a better PR machine – Buddhism is, after all, also quite popular in the Western world.

In 2024, approximately **** million residents of foreign nationality were registered in Japan, making up below ***** percent of the population. The total number of foreign residents increased by about ****million in the last decade. Development of immigration to Japan Except for a large minority of people of Korean descent who have lived in Japan since the first half of the twentieth century, immigration of people from other countries did not become an issue in Japan until the 1980s when the economy required more labor. A revision of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act in 1990 allowed people of Japanese descent, so-called "nikkeijin," to enter the country and work without restrictions. The nikkeijin who entered Japan in the years that followed mainly came from Brazil and other South American countries. Chinese immigration increased as well throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. A breakdown of foreign residents by major nationalities shows that ********immigrants overtook ******* as the largest minority group in 2007. People from ******* were the strongest growing minority in the 2010s. Recent immigration reform Due to its demographic changes, Japan has a relatively low unemployment rate. As a consequence, a large share of companies report labor shortages. The temporary immigration of foreign workers is considered one of the possible solutions to this problem, next to the increasing labor market participation of women and the elderly. In 2019, the Japanese government enacted a major immigration reform. The reform allowed lower- and semi-skilled workers to enter the country and work in one of 14 different industries suffering from a lack of labor. The vast majority of participants are not allowed to bring their family members and are expected to return to their respective countries after their terms in Japan end.

Longitudinal data set of a nationally representative sample of the population aged 65 and over in Japan, comparable to that collected in the US and other countries. The first two waves of data are now available to the international research community. The sample is refreshed with younger members at each wave so it remains representative of the population at each wave. The study was designed primarily to investigate health status of the Japanese elderly and changes in health status over time. An additional aim is to investigate the impact of long-term care insurance system on the use of services by the Japanese elderly and to investigate the relationship between co-residence and the use of long term care. While the focus of the survey is health and health service utilization, other topics relevant to the aging experience are included such as intergenerational exchange, living arrangements, caregiving, and labor force participation. The initial questionnaire was designed to be comparable to the (US) Longitudinal Study of Aging II (LSOAII), and to the Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD, a pre-1924 birth cohort) sample of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), which has now been merged with the HRS. The sample was selected using a multistage stratified sampling method to generate 340 primary sampling units (PSUs). The sample of individuals was selected for the most part by using the National Residents Registry System, considered to be universal and accurate because it is a legal requirement to report any move to local authorities within two weeks. From each of the 340 PSUs, 6-11 persons aged 65-74 were selected and 8-12 persons aged 75+ were sampled. The population 75+ was oversampled by a factor of 2. Weights have been developed for respondents to the first wave of the survey to reflect sampling probabilities. Weights for the second wave are under development. With these weights, the sample should be representative of the 65+ Japanese population. In fall 1999, 4,997 respondents aged 65+ were interviewed, 74.6 percent of the initial target. Twelve percent of responses were provided by proxies, because of physical or mental health problems. The second wave of data was collected in November 2001. The third wave was collected in November 2003. Questionnaire topics include family structure, and living arrangements; subjects'''' parents/spouse''''s parents/children; socioeconomic status; intergenerational exchange; health behaviors, chronic conditions, physical functioning; activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living; functioning in the community; mental health depression measures; vision and hearing; dental health; health care and other service utilization. A CD is available which include the codebook and data files for the first and second waves of the national sample. The third wave of data will be released at a later date. * Dates of Study: 1999-2003 * Study Features: Longitudinal, International * Sample Size: ** 4,997 Nov/Dec 1999 Wave 1 ** 3,992 Nov 2001 Wave 2 ** Nov 2003 Wave 3 Link: * ICPSR: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/ICPSR/studies/00156

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Total: From 15 to 64 Years for Japan (LFWA64TTJPM647S) from Jan 1970 to Sep 2025 about working-age, 15 to 64 years, Japan, and population.

Actual value and historical data chart for Japan Population Ages 0 4 Female Percent Of Female Population

As of September 2025, ****** men and ****** women in Japan were aged 100 years and older. The total number of centenarians in that year added up to about ****** in the country, growing continuously over the past two decades.

In the past decade, Japan’s degree of urbanization has leveled off at around 92.04 percent. This means that less than 10 percent of Japan’s population of 126 million inhabitants do not live in an urban setting. Japan is well above the degree of urbanization worldwide, which is 55 percent. Japan is also known for its high population density: In 2017, it amounted to an eye-watering 347.78 inhabitants per square kilometer - however, it is not even among the top twenty countries with the highest population density worldwide. That ranking is lead by Monaco, followed by China, and Singapore. Japan’s aging population The main demographic challenge that Japan currently faces is an aging population, as the number of inhabitants over 65 years old is an increasing percentage of the population. As of 2018, Japan is the country with the largest percentage of total population over 65 years, and life expectancy at birth there is about 84 years. Simultaneously, the birth rate in Japan is declining, resulting in negative population growth in recent years. One method Japan is using to address these demographic shifts is by investing in automated work processes; it's one of the top countries interested in collaborative robots.

The statistic shows the total population in Japan from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the total population of Japan amounted to around 123.9 million inhabitants. See the figures for the population of South Korea for comparison. Total population in Japan From steadily low fertility rates to a growing elderly population, it is no secret that Japan’s population is shrinking. Population growth rates jump around a little, but are currently following a declining trend. The post-war baby boom generation is now in the 65-and-over age group, and the percentage of the population in that category is expected to keep growing, as is indicated by a high median age and high life expectancy. Japan already has the highest percentage of its population over 65 in the world, and the aging population puts some pressure on the Japanese government to provide welfare services for more people as rising numbers leave the workforce. However, the amount of jobs opened up for the younger generations by the older generations leaving the workforce means that unemployment is kept to a minimum. Despite a jump in unemployment after the global recession hit in 2008, rates were almost back to pre-recession rates by 2013. Another factor affecting Japan is the number of emigrants to other countries. The United States absorbs a number of emigrants worldwide, so despite a stagnating birth rate, the U.S. has seen a steady rise in population.

According to a survey conducted by the Nippon Research Center in October 2019, around ** percent of people in Japan stated that they often read manga or watch anime. A slightly higher share of ** percent of people said that they do not often engage in this pastime.

Around ** percent of consumers in Japan drank the hot beverage at least once a day. According to a 2023 survey in Japan, around **** percent of respondents stated to enjoy coffee two to three times daily. The Japanese coffee market offers various sales channels for the distribution of the brewed beverage. Apart from coffee shops and home-brewed drinks, coffee-based beverages are also commercially available as RTD beverages in retail stores and at vending machines.

According to a survey conducted in October 2021 in Japan, *** percent of people participated in Japanese tea ceremony activities. This was the lowest result during the surveyed period, and the first time the value dipped under the one percent mark. The Japanese tea ceremony is one of the numerous traditional cultural heritages of Japan.

According to an annual survey, the share of people in Japan who use the internet stood at 85.6 percent in 2024. The internet penetration rate slightly decreased compared to the previous year. Spread of the internet in Japan Commercial internet services became available in Japan in the early 1990s and were adopted by an increasing number of people in the years that followed. The use of modems was made possible by the Telecommunications Business Act, which came into effect in 1985 and liberalized the telecommunications business. Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation (NTT), which had a monopoly on the telecommunications system until then, was privatized during that year. Compared to other parts of Asia, regulation of internet service providers (ISPs) in Japan was less strict, which made it easy for entrepreneurs to establish related startups. However, high-speed digital leased lines were comparatively expensive. A further hurdle that had to be overcome was the complexity of the Japanese writing system. As these problems became solved, the internet gained greater acceptance in Japan, so that by the early 2000s it was used by a majority of people in the country. Survey figures indicate, however, that there remain differences based on age group, household income, and the regions people live in. Internet usage today Survey data also show that the most common reasons for using the internet in Japan are social networking services, communicating with other people via e-mail, and the looking up of information. Among social networks, X and Instagram enjoy a particularly high popularity, while LINE reigns supreme among messaging apps. The main devices used to access the internet are smartphones and PCs. Leading internet service providers include Asahi Net, Biglobe, Nifty Corporation, NTT Plala, and So-net, while the three major mobile carriers in Japan are NTT Docomo, au by KDDI, and SoftBank. E-commerce giant Rakuten joined the competition by launching its own mobile carrier service in 2020.

According to a survey conducted among senior Japanese people in **************, **** percent of respondents stated that they take health supplements every day. In contrast, **** percent of respondents answered that they have never taken health supplements.

Adults with 100 thousand to *********** U.S. dollars in wealth made up around ** percent of the Japanese population in 2020, while the second largest share of people were worth between 10,000 and 100,000 dollars. Together, these groups accounted for approximately ** percent of the population.

Wealth versus income

Wealth, as opposed to income, measures the ownership of assets in a society. Together with GDP, GDP per capita, and household disposable income, it helps to understand the economic well-being of households. Furthermore, the distribution of wealth gives an indication about the degree of equality in a society. Illustrated by its wealth distribution, Japan can be considered relatively equal compared to other countries.

Egalitarian corporate culture

In recent years, wealth inequality has become the subject of increasing focus among policymakers, academics and the general public. While several factors have contributed to the high equality in the country, it is safe to say that the egalitarian ethic in Japanese corporate culture is one of these reasons. This is reflected, for example, in the income structure; Japanese CEOs earn remarkably less than their counterparts in the United Kingdom or the United States. In a ranking of the average income of business leaders worldwide by country, Japan did not even make it into the list of the top ten countries.

In 2023, the total population in Japan slightly decreased to just below *** million people compared to the previous year, with the female population reaching around **** million, as compared to **** million men. The oldest population in the world  Japanese society is facing severe demographic problems such as decreasing birthrates, remaining under *** million births annually recently, and a thereby aging population. The country’s average age lies at around ** years, making its population the oldest in the world. Elderly people aged 65 years and older accounted for about ** percent of the population in 2023. According to a forecast, this age group would make up approximately ** percent of the Japanese population by 2070. Challenges with the demographic shift The rapid aging of the society poses significant economic and sociopolitical challenges to the country, as the workforce will continue to shrink while increasingly more elderly will receive long-term support. Currently, close to ***** million Japanese require long-term care, leading to national benefit expenses of over ** trillion yen annually, including in-home and community-based services.