Japan elderly population hits fresh high at 29.4%: 2025 census

TOKYO - People aged 65 and over account for a record-high 29.4 percent of Japan's population, the finalized 2025 census results showed Tuesday, 0.9 percentage point higher than in the previous survey in 2020 and underscoring the rapidly graying society.

The population of Japan, including foreign residents, fell by 3.17 million, or 2.5 percent, to 122,972,528 as of Oct. 1 last year. The latest census data comes amid questions over the credibility of what the government views as "the most important statistics," after a city in central Japan faced allegations of overstating its population by several thousand.