TOKYO - The number of Japanese nationals fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years to 119,736,483 at the start of this year, the government said Wednesday, underscoring the challenges faced by a nation battling declining birth rates.
The figure as of Jan. 1 showed a drop of 917,000 people from a year earlier, the largest fall since comparable data became available in 1968, according to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
The number of foreign residents, meanwhile, rose 354,000 to a record 4,031,159. The ministry began compiling relevant data in 2013.
Despite government efforts to reverse the declining birth trend, the country recorded around 670,000 births, a record low, compared with around 1.59 million deaths.
Of Japan's 47 prefectures, Tokyo was the only one that reported an increase in the number of Japanese nationals, up 0.09 percent.
Faced with labor shortages, Japan has been gradually opening its doors to foreign workers. The number of foreign residents rose for the fourth consecutive year as more people came to Japan in search of job opportunities.
The share of working-age people among foreign residents rose to 86.17 percent.
The prefecture with the largest increase in the number of foreign residents was Hokkaido, at 14.89 percent, followed by Okinawa at 14.36 percent and Oita at 13.90 percent.
Japan's total population, including foreign residents, stood at 123,767,642, down by approximately 563,000 from the previous year. Population growth was reported only in Tokyo, Chiba and Osaka prefectures.
The statistics were compiled based on the basic resident register.
