TOKYO’S POPULATION GROWTH HIGHEST IN NATION

According to the latest national census survey, Japan’s population shrank by 868,000 over the five years to 2020. This is the second time in a row to record a decline. The country’s population as of October 1, 2020, was 126,226,568. The decline of 0.7% is a slight improvement from the 0.8% decline reported in 2015.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications remarked that while deaths exceeded births, the rate of decline has been slowed by more foreign residents as well as returnees who came back to Japan amidst the global turmoil of the pandemic.

A total of 9 prefectures saw their populations increase. In top spot was Tokyo with an increase of 540,000 residents. Neighboring Kanagawa Prefecture was in second spot with a 114,000 increase, and Saitama was in third spot with an 80,000 increase. 11.1% of the population resides in Tokyo, while a third of the nation resides in the greater Tokyo area, which is made up of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures.

Hokkaido saw the largest decrease with its population shrinking by 153,000. Niigata Prefecture was in second spot with a 102,000 decrease, while Fukushima Prefecture saw a decrease of 80,000.

Over 80% of Japan’s cities, towns and villages saw their populations shrink. Over half of those saw a decline of 5% or more.

It should come as no surprise to see that Tokyo’s 23 wards reported the highest increase in population on a city-level, with an increase of 472,000. Fukuoka City was in second spot with an increase of 75,000. Kawasaki City was in third spot with an increase of 64,000.

Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture had the steepest decline in Japan with a decrease of 22,000. Niigata and Nagasaki cities both saw a decrease of 20,000. 

The number of households in Japan increased by 2.271 million to 55.72 million. The average household size was 2.27 persons.  

Foreign residents

There were 2,556,183 foreign residents in Japan as of October 1, 2020, a 44% increase from 2015. A fifth were residing in Tokyo. Aichi Prefecture had the second-highest population with 247,704 foreign residents. Kanagawa Prefecture was ranked third with 206,769 foreign residents.