Japan's seniors now comprise a record 29.6% of the population
Japan's population aged 65 and over reached a historic 29.6%, the highest share among nations with over 40 million people.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that 29.6% of Japan's residents are now 65 years old or older, amounting to 36.24 million people, including 15.71 million men and 20.54 million women. This marks the highest elderly proportion among countries with populations exceeding 40 million, with Italy, Germany and France trailing. Those aged 75 and above make up 17.7% of the Japanese population, again the largest share among nine major nations.
The data were published just before the national Respect for the Aged Day holiday. Earlier estimates had placed the share at 29.4% a year earlier, confirming a steady upward trend. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research forecasts the elderly cohort could reach 39.45 million, or 36.3% of the total, by 2045 as the 1971-74 baby-boom generation ages.
Why it matters
An aging society strains pensions, healthcare and the labor market, affecting Japan's economy and social stability.
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