Japan Faces Population Decline as Numbers Drop by Nearly One Million

A "silent state of emergency" prevails, according to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The population of Japan fell by almost one million last year.

» Published: August 07 2025

Japan Faces Population Decline as Numbers Drop by Nearly One Million
Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/AP/TT

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Officially, the Japanese became 908,574 fewer, a decline of 0.75 percent. Japan's population now amounts to just over 120 million, according to the statistics.

Low birth rates are a problem in many countries, but particularly acute in Japan where the phenomenon has been going on for years. The latest decline is described as the largest since statistics began in 1968. The population has now decreased 16 years in a row, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has promised family-friendly measures to reverse the trend, including flexible working hours and free childcare.

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By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

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