TOKYO – Japan’s population of individuals aged 65 or older has reached a new record of 36.25 million in 2024, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on September 15. This demographic now makes up 29.3% of Japan’s total population, also a historic high.
This significant figure places Japan at the forefront globally in terms of elderly population proportion, surpassing all other countries and regions with a population over 100,000. European nations such as Italy, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Germany, and Croatia are also among the top ten, each with elderly populations exceeding 20%. South Korea and China follow, with rates of 19.3% and 14.7%, respectively.
The growing elderly population exacerbates Japan’s demographic challenges, leading to increased medical and welfare costs amidst a declining labor force. Japan’s overall population has decreased by 595,000 to 124 million, highlighting the broader issues associated with this demographic trend.
Additionally, the number of elderly individuals actively employed reached a record 9.14 million in 2023, representing 13.5% of the workforce. This figure underscores the significant role that older adults play in Japan’s labor market, with one in seven employees being elderly.
Efforts by the Japanese government to address the declining and aging population have thus far yielded limited success, leaving the country grappling with the economic and social implications of its demographic trends.