Japan Population Decline Accelerates as Foreign Resident Rules Tighten
Japan's national population fell by 3.5% over five years according to new census data, while the government implemented stricter rules for foreign residents.
FTMQ Business, written by our newsroom0 views
Japan's national population declined at an accelerated rate between 2020 and 2025, Fortune reported. Data from the latest five-year census released in October 2025 showed the number of Japanese nationals fell by 3.5% to 119.1 million. This contraction follows a 1.4% drop recorded in the previous 2020 census count. [1]
Alongside the population data, the Japanese government introduced tougher regulations for foreign nationals seeking to reside in the country, according to Fortune. The policy changes come as political resistance to immigration grows, despite the nation facing a shrinking workforce and rapid demographic aging. [1]
Foreign residents currently account for a record high of 3.4% of Japan's total population, Fortune reported. Global human population growth has simultaneously slowed to 0.9% as of 2023 due to declining total fertility rates worldwide. [1][2]
The tightening of residency rules highlights ongoing challenges for Japan as it attempts to maintain economic growth. Businesses face a shrinking pool of domestic workers alongside stricter limits on foreign labor. [1]
In short
- Japan's population of nationals fell 3.5% to 119.1 million in 2025.
- The 2020 census previously showed a 1.4% decline in Japanese nationals.
- Foreign residents make up 3.4% of Japan's total population.
- The Japanese government introduced stricter rules for foreign nationals living in the country.
Sources
Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.
- [1]Japan’s population is shrinking at an accelerating rate, but the nationalist prime minister is making it harder for foreigners to live thereFortune, 2h ago (the report this story comes from)
Background
- [2]Population decline on Wikipedia
- [3]Japan on Grokipedia
Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 3 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.
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