Japan's population declines for first time in last 5 years and now amounts to 127.1 million

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 26, ARMENPRESS.Japan’s population fell by nearly one million, according to new statistics – the first decline since official census records began in the 1920s and now amounts to 127.1 million, “Armenpress” reports citing The Guardian.

The country lost 947,345 people – more than the population of San Francisco – between 2010 and 2015.

The decline of 0.7% to 127.1 million has been predicted by the government annually but the new statistics confirm the trend.

It is an indication that as the nation gets older, and people have fewer babies at a later age, a demographic crisis is looming.

According to the United Nations, Japan’s population is likely to shrink to 83 million by 2100, with 35% of them older than 65.

Economists fear that the decline in population spells trouble for the world’s most indebted economy.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has tried to tackle the coming crisis by installing lawmaker Katsunobu Kato as the “minister for 100 million active people”.

Kato is tasked with stabilizing Japan’s birthrate at 1.8, up from 1.41 in 2012.