Japan's Population Suffers Record Drop as All 47 Prefectures Report Steep Decline
New population figures in Japan mark two new unwelcome records for a nation sailing into uncharted territory in terms of demographics, but one that many other countries are also expected to face in the future. | Japan's population plummeted in all 47 of its prefectures for the very first time as the number of nationals fell below 800,000 people, figures released by the Japanese government revealed on Wednesday. ● The latest data shows that deaths in Japan reached a record high of over 1.56 million in 2022, while there were just 771,000 births during the same period. ● Even a substantial increase in foreign residents of over 10%, bringing the total to 2.99 million, could not halt the overall slide in Japan's population. The population has been declining for 14 consecutive years, reaching 122.42 million in 2022 ● It is important to note that Japan is not alone in experiencing a decline in birth rates. The average fertility rate for wealthy nations that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development group is 1.66, well below the replacement rate of 2.1 required to maintain population numbers.