Japan's total population fell by 530,000 and the number of foreigners exceeded 3 million for the first time

According to the latest demographic dynamics survey released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as of January 1 this year, the total population of Japan, including foreigners, was 124.885 million, about 532,000 fewer than the previous year.

Japan's Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry said in a report released Wednesday that the number of Japanese citizens living in the country stood at 1215.61 million, down about 861,000 from the previous year, equivalent to a 0.70 percent decrease, the biggest drop since the survey began in 1968, Kyodo News reported.

Of the prefectures, only Tokyo saw a slight increase in population. The results of the survey reflect the serious problem of underbirth in Japan and suggest that measures should be taken urgently to maintain the vitality of the region.

In contrast, Japan's population is decreasing year by year, but the number of foreigners in all prefectures continues to increase, surpassing 3 million for the first time.

The survey, based on a basic register of residents, shows that Japan has a population of 121,561,801, but it has been declining every year for the past 15 years. The main reason is that the number of deaths is at a record high of about 1.58 million, but the number of births is at a record low of about 730,000, far fewer than the number of deaths.

Looking at the Japanese population by prefecture, only Tokyo saw a slight increase of 0.03 percent. The top three declines were 1.83 percent in Akita, 1.72 percent in Aomori and 1.61 percent in Iwate.