Three in 10 People in Japan Are 65 or Older; Working Seniors Also Reach a Record High

【Financial News, Tokyo—Correspondent Seo Hye-jin】The share of people aged 65 and over in Japan's total population has risen to a record high of 29.6%. In effect, three in 10 people in Japan are elderly. The number of working seniors also reached an all-time high of 9.43 million, meaning that one in seven employed people is 65 or older.
According to Yomiuri Shimbun on the 21st, population estimates released that day by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to mark Respect for the Aged Day showed that the population aged 65 and over stood at 36.24 million as of the 15th, up 20,000 from the previous year. This matched the record high recorded in 2022 and 2024. The group's share of the total population rose 0.2 percentage points from the previous year to a record 29.6%.
The elderly population increased for the first time in two years. Men aged 65 and over numbered 15.71 million, accounting for 26.3% of all men, while women in the same age group numbered 20.54 million, or 32.6% of all women. In other words, one in three women is 65 or older.
By age group, 21.68 million people were aged 75 and over, placing them in the category of late-stage elderly people. They accounted for 17.7% of the total population. The number of people aged 80 and over reached 12.88 million, or 10.5% of the population. More than one in 10 people in Japan is therefore over 80.
Japan's share of older people has continued to rise since 1950, when the relevant statistics began to be compiled. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research projects that the figure will climb to 34.8% in 2040 and 37.1% in 2050.
United Nations estimates also showed that Japan had the highest proportion of older people among the world's 39 countries with populations of at least 40 million. Italy followed at 25.6%, ahead of Germany at 24.2% and France at 22.9%.
The number of working seniors is also rising rapidly alongside population aging. Last year, 9.43 million people aged 65 and over were employed, setting a record high for the 22nd consecutive year. The employment rate for older people was 26%, up 0.3 percentage points from the previous year.
The employment rate was 54.5% among those aged 65 to 69, exceeding half; 36.2% among those aged 70 to 74; and 12.6% among those aged 75 and over. Older people accounted for 13.8% of all employed people aged 15 and over, also a record high. This means that about one in seven people working in Japan is 65 or older.

[email protected] Seo Hye-jin Reporter