The number of people aged 65 or older in Japan hit a record high of 36.25 million this year, accounting for 29.3 percent of the country’s total population, official data showed Sunday.
The figure places Japan at the top of the list of countries with the highest rate of elderly people among 200 countries and regions with at least 100,000 inhabitants, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.
Italy and Portugal, ranked in the top five, show 24.6% and 24.5% respectively, while South Korea reaches 19.3% and China 14.7%.
In detail, the number of women aged 65 or over is estimated at 20.53 million, while that of men reaches 15.72 million, said the same Source, adding that 12.90 million people are 80 or over, or 10.4% of the total population, thus crossing the 10% threshold for the second consecutive year.
Another survey by the Japanese ministry also revealed that nearly 9.14 million elderly people were employed in 2023, also setting a new record with 13.5% of the country’s total workforce.
The majority of these people were employed in wholesale and retail trade, followed by the health care, wellness and service sectors.
According to the ministry, the older working population is expected to continue to grow due to labor shortages and other factors.
