Japan's population has fallen for the 15th consecutive year, with the number of foreign residents hitting an all-time high, according to the Internal Affairs Ministry.

As of January 1 this year, Japan's population stood at approximately 124.885 million, a decrease of about 531,700 or 0.42 percent from the previous year. This marks the largest decline rate since the survey began in 1968.

Tokyo remains the most populous city with around 13.9 million residents, followed by Kanagawa Prefecture at 9.2 million, Osaka Prefecture at 8.7 million, and Aichi Prefecture at 7.5 million. Conversely, Tottori Prefecture has the smallest population at about 540,200, with Shimane Prefecture having the second fewest at approximately 650,600.

Population growth was noted in Tokyo, Okinawa, and Chiba, while 44 other prefectures experienced declines. The number of Japanese residents decreased to just over 121.561 million, down 861,200 or 0.7 percent from last year.

The number of Japanese births reached a record low of 729,300, while deaths soared to over 1.579 million, leading to a natural population decline of 850,360—the highest ever recorded.

In contrast, the number of foreign residents in Japan surged to more than 3.323 million, an increase of 329,500 or 11.01 percent from the previous year. This marks the first time the foreign resident count has exceeded 3 million, with both the number and growth rate being the largest ever recorded. (ILKHA)