Tokyo: The estimated number of people aged 65 or older in Japan stands at 36.19 million as of Monday, marking a decrease of 50,000 from the previous year, according to the internal affairs ministry’s announcement on Sunday. This decline, the first in two years, comes just ahead of Respect for the Aged Day, a national holiday observed on Monday. Despite the drop, this demographic still constitutes a record 29.4 percent of Japan’s total population, an increase of 0.1 percentage point.
According to Philippines News Agency, the reduction in the elderly population is primarily due to the number of deaths among those aged 65 or older surpassing the number of individuals reaching that age. The ministry’s estimates indicate that elderly men number approximately 15.68 million, representing 26.2 percent of the total male population. Meanwhile, the number of elderly women is estimated at 20.51 million, making up 32.4 percent of the female populace.
The proportion of those aged 65 or older is on a steady rise each year. Projections by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research suggest that by 2040, this age group will comprise 34.8 percent of the population. This increase aligns with the aging of Japan’s second baby boomer generation, those born between 1971 and 1974, who will reach 65 or older by that time.