Japan's Population Aged 65 and Over Nears 30%... Half of Those Aged 65-69 Are Working

Employment Rate Increase Amid Aging Population

In Japan, the elderly population aged 65 and over accounts for 30% of the total population, and half of those aged 65 to 69 are still working.

According to the estimated population data released by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on the 15th, a day before Respect for the Aged Day, the population aged 65 and over reached 36.25 million, an increase of 20,000 from the previous year, marking an all-time high. This accounts for 29.3% of Japan's total population, also setting a new record for the highest proportion.

A 74-year-old woman, a senior breakdance member, drinking a beverage during practice in Tokyo, Japan
[Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]

According to UN estimates, Japan has the highest proportion of elderly people aged 65 and over among major countries, followed by Italy (24.6%) and Germany (23.2%). South Korea's elderly population ratio was surveyed at 19.3%. Notably, Japan's population aged 75 and over is 20.76 million, accounting for 16.8% of the total population.

Japan's total population stands at 123.76 million, decreasing by 590,000 compared to the previous year, continuing the trend of population decline.

Along with aging, the number of elderly people continuing to work for economic reasons after retirement age is increasing. Last year, 52% of the population aged 65 to 69 were employed, an increase of 1.2 percentage points from the previous year. The employment rate of elderly people aged 65 and over was recorded at 25.2%.