Japan continues to break longevity records as the nation marks another milestone in its aging story. Recent figures show that life expectancy and the share of elderly residents are climbing, with more than 92,000 people aged 80 and over reported in the latest government data released ahead of Respect for the Elderly Day celebrations.
As of September 15, government demographic forecasts indicate that roughly 12.69 million individuals are 80 years old or older, a milestone that represents one tenth of the population for the first time. This reflects a broader trend of rapid aging that has defined Japan’s demographic landscape in recent decades.
In total, about 36.23 million residents are aged 65 and over, amounting to 29.1% of the population. This share shows a marginal rise of 0.1 percentage points from the previous year, a reflection of ongoing population aging in the country. This snapshot comes in conjunction with the national holiday at the heart of the announcement, celebrated on the third Monday of September.
Within this 65 and over cohort, women account for approximately 56.6% with 20.51 million women and 32.1% of all women in the country; the remaining 15.72 million are men aged 65 and over, a figure that corresponds to 26% of the male population.
Projections from the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan estimate that people aged 65 and over will make up about 34.8% of the population by 2040, underscoring the long term demographic shift.
The country continues to set records for longevity, with estimates placing the total number of centenarians around 92,139, backed by data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. A striking 88.5% of centenarians are women, highlighting gender differences in longevity.
The year 2023 marked the fifty third consecutive annual increase in the centenarian tally, underscoring Japan’s aging profile. Current statistics show the nation averaging about 73.74 centenarians per 100,000 people, a rate that highlights the ongoing aging trend.
Japan’s oldest known resident is a woman, Fusa Tatsumi, aged 116 and living in Osaka Prefecture in the western part of the country.
The National Census and related records trace the growth of centenarians from 153 in 1963 to more than a thousand in 1981 and to over ten thousand by 1998. Experts attribute much of the life expectancy rise to advances in medical technologies and healthcare accessibility.
Aging workforce
The aging population also translates into a grayer workforce. Individuals aged 65 and older have comprised around 13.6% of the total workforce in recent years.
Government estimates show that roughly half of people aged 65–69 remain employed, with about one third of those aged 70–74 still working. This persistence in employment reflects both economic necessity and policy measures encouraging continued participation in the labor market.
The aging workforce is especially noticeable in agriculture, where 52.5% of agricultural workers are over 65 years old. This reality has important implications for productivity, rural communities, and the design of elder-friendly labor policies.