Population in Japan Keeps on Declining for 16 Years

Ministry for Internal Affairs and Communications released its demographic survey, or the Vital Survey, of Japan at the time of October 1st, 2023. Population of Japan declined for sixteen consecutive years, while foreigners in Japan showed significant increase. It is likely that xenophobic sentiment among the Japanese is further growing as some news conservative parties promote policies excluding foreign people from Japan.

The statistics were based on demographic data recorded on the Basic Resident Register, total sum of records in the cities, towns and villages all around Japan. Although Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has annual survey of Future Population Estimate, the Vital Statistics annually wraps up the basic contemporary demographic situation.

 

The population of Japanese citizens was 120,653,227 in October 2023. It declined by 908,574 from the previous year, marking 0.75 percent of reduction. Both the number and ratio of demographic shrinking were the biggest, since the ministry started the survey in 1968.

 

On the other hand, foreigners in Japan were 3,677,463, with increase of 354,089 which was a new record since 2013. Indeed, they increased by 10.65 percent from the previous year. The share of foreigners in registered people in Japan grew to 2.96 percent. Compared to the share of foreigners in Germany, which was nearly 15 percent in 2023, foreigners in Japan does not have incredibly great share so far.

 

The greatest reason why the Japanese population is declining was because more people died while less people were born. The deaths surpassed the number of live birth by 912,161, which was also the highest record. The number of live birth was 687,689, declining below 700 thousand for the first time.

 

In the trend of overall decline in population, residents in urban area of Japan are increasing. Population in Tokyo has swollen by 0.65 percent, while Akita lost its population by 1.84 percent, followed by Aomori with 1.64 percent and Kochi with 1.59 percent. Centralization to Tokyo and its suburb is still in progress.

 

Gradual decline of infection of COVID seems to have caused increase of foreign people in Japan, helped by depreciative trend of Japanese yen. The share of foreigners in Tokyo was 5.15 percent, followed by Aichi with 4.30 percent. The ratio of increase was the biggest in Hokkaido, with increase of 19.57 percent. It is likely that more affordable foreigners have started living in around resort area in Hokkaido.

 

Growing number of foreigners brings growing concerns in the life of ordinary Japanese people. More Japanese people feel uncomfortable with foreign neighbors who do not understand basic rules in local communities. New populist party, Sanseito, increased its seats in the Upper House election n July, appealing regulative policy against accepting foreign immigrants.

 

The demographic change in local community also causes inequality for voting in elections. The value of one vote in every single-seat district of the House of Representatives differs each other. According to calculation of Yomiuri Shimbun, the value of one vote in Tottori 1st district was 2.103 times greater than that in Fukuoka 5th. It is broadly recognized that the gap greater than 2 times would violate the Constitution which guarantees equality under the law. The House of Representatives may be facing pressure to redraw the line of electoral districts.

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