SOCIETY
One in 10 Japanese is now over 80
September 18, 2023 - Octogenarians account for more than 10% of all Japanese for the first time, while the proportion of people aged over 65 has hit a record high in the nation with the world’s oldest population.
The number of people aged 80 or older rose by 270,000 from last year to a record 12.5 million, or more than 10 percent of Japan's population, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said ahead of Monday's Respect for the Aged Day.
In another record, those age 65 and older, defined as the elderly in Japan, accounted for 29.1% of the total population at 36.2 million, meaning the country continues to have the largest proportion of this age group worldwide, the data shows.
Japan’s overall population fell by about half a million to 124.4 million, according to the report. It’s expected to tumble to less than 109 million by 2045.