Foreign Residents Top 4.03 Million, a Record High, as Japanese Population Falls for 17th Straight Year: Internal Affairs Ministry Data
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The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released population, demographic, and household figures based on the Basic Resident Register (as of January 1, 2026) on July 29, 2026. Japan's total population stood at 123,767,642, down 563,048 (0.45%) from the previous year. Of this, the Japanese population was 119,736,483, down 916,744 from the previous year, marking a 17th consecutive year of decline. Meanwhile, the foreign resident population reached 4,031,159, up 353,696 (9.62%) from the previous year—a record high since the statistics began. Foreign resident numbers increased in all 47 prefectures.
The number of Japanese births was 670,467, marking a 10th consecutive year of decline since 2016 and a record low. Deaths totaled 1,593,475. Only three prefectures—Tokyo, Osaka, and Chiba—saw population growth.
Current status: This report is based on primary statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and is highly reliable. This article will be updated with the annual trend when the next set of statistics is released.
Regarding the number of registered foreign residents, the Immigration Services Agency announced in March 2026 that the figure had "topped 4 million for the first time" (related coverage). It should be noted that this Internal Affairs Ministry statistic is based on the Basic Resident Register (as of January 1, 2026), while the Immigration Services Agency's figures are based on registered foreign nationals as of a different reference date and population definition. Even so, both sets of data point to the same trend: a rapid increase in the foreign resident population alongside a continuing decline in the Japanese population.