Demographics and Population Projections of Japan
INTRODUCTION Japan gets special consideration because it is further along the demographics declining population curve than any other large country. Unless there are major changes in healthcare technology, immigration, public policy, and birth rates, all other industrialized countries will follow Japan down the path of declining and aging populations, and smaller labor forces. PROJECTIONS Japan’s current (2024) population is around 122 million people. This is the 15 th year of population decline, down from a high of 128 million. The yearly decreases so far have been small, both in numbers and as a percent of the total. This is expected to continue until 2030. Then population decreases are expected to accelerate to a population of 104 million in 2050 and 87 million in 2070. At the end of the century, Japan’s population is projected to be 60-65 million people, about half its current size. The high dependency ratio (the number of elderly divided by the number in working age gro