The government data indicates that Japan's old age population reached a record mark of 36.25 million this year, more than any other country. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications released this data on Sunday, highlighting that the elderly population constitute 29.3 per cent of Japan's total population, which is another record.

According to the ministry, this proportion marks Japan's position at the top of the list of 200 countries and regions with a population of over 100,000. The data added that nearly 20.53 million of those aged 65 or older are women, while 15.72 million are men.

Old Age Population
The World Economic Forum

The top 10 list also features Italy, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Germany and Croatia from Europe, with a proportion of over 20 per cent. The other two Asian countries, South Korea, stood at 19.3 per cent and China at 14.7 per cent.

The data further highlights another record with 9.14 million elderly people employed in 2023, constituting 13.5 per cent of the total workforce (one elderly employee in seven). 

Japan's Old Age Population & Demographic Problem

Due to the growing old age population, Japan is facing a demographic problem causing higher medical and welfare costs with a shrinking labour force to pay for it. According to earlier government data, the country's overall population experienced a decrease of 595,000 to 124 million. The Japanese government has put multiple efforts into delaying the decline and ageing of its population, but it hasn't shown any sign of success. 

According to a study published last year by the Recruit Works Institute, Japan could face a shortage of more than 11 million workers by 2040 due to its shrinking population.

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