Japan had 800,000 fewer citizens at the start of this year, compared with a year earlier, but more worrying was that falls were posted by every one of its 47 prefectures for the first time.

Okinawa, the only prefecture with a growing population, also saw a drop.

As of Jan. 1, the population as ranked solely by Japanese nationals totaled 122,423,038, down 800,523 from the previous year, according to the internal affairs ministry. The figures are based on the government’s basic resident register.

The drop was the fastest since the current survey method began in 1973, the data showed. It exceeded the previous year’s record by more than 180,000.

Population figures have steadily declined for 14 consecutive years since 2009, when the number of Japanese people was at its peak, and the rate of decrease is accelerating.

The number of births in 2022 hit a record low of 771,801, down 40,235 from a year earlier. It was the first time for the figure to fall below 800,000 since 1973.

The number of deaths in 2022 climbed to a record high of 1,565,125, up 123,386 from the previous year.

The rise is believed to be due to the high ratio of elderly people in Japan, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In terms of “natural population increases or decreases,” or the difference between the number of births and deaths, the number of Japanese citizens fell by 793,324, the largest drop on record.

By age group, those aged 20 to 39, the core generation for childbearing, totaled 24,998,970, down 361,570 from the previous year.

On the other hand, people aged 65 and older totaled 35,685,383, down around 50,000 from a year ago. But their share of the overall population increased by 0.15 point from the previous year to 29.15 percent, showing that the aging trend has accelerated.

The population of foreign nationals increased for the first time in three years to a record 2,993,839, up 289,498 from the previous year.

Akita had the highest rate of population decline of citizen numbers among all prefectures at 1.71 percent, while Tokyo had the lowest at 0.12 percent. 

Countrywide, Tokyo had the highest proportion of working-age people, those aged 15 to 64, at 65.17 percent.

Among the 276 municipalities with populations of 100,000 or more, 128, or 46.4 percent, experienced a “social increase,” where the number of residents moving in surpasses those moving out.

Of the 1,471 municipalities with populations of less than 100,000, however, only 336, or 22.8 percent, experienced a social increase.

This suggests that working people who give birth and raise children are concentrated in urban areas, rather than rural districts, where job opportunities are more limited, and wages tend to be lower.

But even in urban areas, the population is declining. The natural decrease, where the number of deaths exceeds that of births, has been accelerating.

In Tokyo, the natural decrease stood at 11,936 in 2018, but rose to 47,582 in 2022.

“The severe population decrease in rural areas has spread to urban areas as well,” noted Kentaro Fujimoto, a professor at the University of Shizuoka, who is an expert on measures against declining birthrate.

Fujimoto said cities work because people gather from surrounding areas “but in rural areas, it is increasingly becoming impossible to raise children as daycare centers have shut down due to low enrollment numbers.”

He said the “same trend can be seen in elementary and junior high schools.”

As a result, Fujimoto said the number of children in rural areas has fallen while the number of people “moving into cities is also decreasing.”

Among cities across the nation, Inzai in Chiba Prefecture had the highest population growth rate at 1.89 percent.

The city’s appeal apparently lies in its generous child-rearing policies and its efforts to attract companies.

“Compared to central Tokyo, it’s easier to afford a single-family house with a large garden,” said a city official, adding that the area has become a base for logistics companies and a wide range of other businesses.

Nagareyama city, which is also in Chiba Prefecture and had ranked first in terms of population growth for six years in a row, came in second with a growth rate of 1.8 percent.

Still, the number of births exceeded that of deaths by 221, ranking it first among cities nationwide in terms of natural increases.

In 2010, Nagareyama city had 17 nursery schools. Now it has 102, according to the city government.

The city set up pickup and drop-off points at its train stations to help busy parents. A city bus transports the children to nursery schools.

“We have a specifically identified target and clearly explained the steps the city is taking, which led to the current population increase,” said a city official.

Tomohiro Makino, an expert in real estate matters, said these municipalities are “clearly defining the concept of the city and creating an environment where residents can take pride in being from that municipality.”

“Policies that make it possible for families to continue living in the area generation after generation will create an environment conducive to having and raising children,” he said.

(This article was written by Takuro Chiba and Takayuki Meguro.)