In 2022, the total population in Japan slightly decreased to just below 125 million people compared to the previous year, with the female population reaching around 64.2 million, as compared to 61 million men.
The oldest population in the world
Japanese society is facing severe demographical problems such as decreasing birthrates, remaining under one million births annually in recent years, and a thereby aging population. The country’s average age lies at over 48 years, making its population the oldest in the world. Elderly people aged 65 years and older accounted for about 29 percent of the population in 2022. According to a forecast, the age group 65 years and older would make up approximately 38 percent of the Japanese population by 2070.
Challenges with the demographic shift
The rapid aging of the society poses significant economic and sociopolitical challenges to the country, as the workforce will continue to shrink while increasingly more elderly will receive long-term support. Currently, close to seven million Japanese require long-term care, leading to national benefit expenses of around 13 trillion yen annually, including in-home and community-based services.
