The Record Number of Foreign Residents in Japan
According to official data, the number of foreign citizens living in Japan has reached a record level, also revealing the largest annual decrease in the number of Japanese citizens ever recorded, as reported by the AFP agency.
The Aging Population Issue
With an extremely low birth rate, Japan has the second oldest population in the world, after Monaco, as reported by Agerpres.
Government Policies and Projections
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has implemented policies aimed at boosting births, while also warning that the country is “on the verge of not being able to function as a society.” Government estimates in Tokyo project that Japan will lose almost a third of its population in the next three decades.
The Increase of Foreign Residents in Japan
Recently, the government of Japan has revised its immigration policies to make it more attractive for foreign workers to settle in the archipelago. As of January 1st, Japan had 3.32 million foreign residents, marking an 11% annual increase and a record since the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tokyo started collecting this data in 2013.
Foreign residents now make up about 2.7% of Japan’s population of 124.9 million people. The increase in foreign population has been attributed to the easing of strict border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which encouraged students and foreign workers to come to Japan under a government-sponsored professional training program.
Population Decline in Ezi: A Growing Concern
The population of Ezi has been steadily declining for the past 15 years, with a significant decrease of 861,237 people in 2023. This marks the largest decline recorded so far, bringing the total population to 121.6 million as of January 1st.
This ongoing trend of population decline is becoming a growing concern for policymakers and researchers in Ezi. The reasons behind this decline are multifaceted, ranging from low birth rates and aging population to emigration and economic challenges.
Efforts are being made to address this issue, including incentives for families to have more children, policies to attract skilled immigrants, and initiatives to support the elderly population. However, the future demographic landscape of Ezi remains uncertain, posing challenges for the country’s social and economic development.