2050 Elderly Population to Top 40 Pct in 25 Japan Prefectures

From Jiji

December 22 2023

TOKYO – People aged 65 or older will comprise over 40 pct of the population in 25 out of Japan’s 47 prefectures in 2050, according to estimates released by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research on Friday. 

Akita Prefecture in northeastern Japan is projected to have the highest proportion of elderly individuals nationwide, reaching 49.9 pct. 

Population projections for 2050 revealed declines from 2020 for all prefectures except Tokyo, emphasizing the accelerating trend of population concentration in the capital. 

The estimates, based on the 2020 census, track changes in population at five-year intervals for 30 years through 2050, categorized by prefecture, city, major city ward, town and village. In 2050, Japan’s total population is estimated at 104,686,000, down 17.0 pct from 2020. The decline is smaller than in the previous estimate, released in 2018, due to an anticipated increase in the number of non-Japanese residents.