Japan hit with its steepest population decline ever

Japan experienced its sharpest population decline ever in 2023, dropping 861,000 (0.7%) to 121,561,801 total, according to an annual report released by Japan’s ministry of internal affairs on Wednesday.

Japan’s population has shrunk for 15 years in a row since peaking in 2009. Births in Japan also numbered a record-low 730,000, while the 1.58 million deaths were the highest ever. Foreign residents in Japan rose by 329,535 (11.01%) to a record high of 3,323,374, marking the second year in a row of increase. Surveys have indicated younger Japanese are less likely to get married or have children due to high cost of living and dimming job prospects, among other reasons.