TOKYO: Japan’s total population in 2070 is expected to fall to 87 million, shrinking 30% from its level in 2020, according to a new government estimate.
The country’s population, numbering 126.15 million as of 2020, is forecast to fall below 100 million in 2056, the National Institute of Population and Security Research said on Wednesday.
Foreign residents, including students and workers residing in Japan for more than three months, are forecast to comprise 10.8% of the population at 9.4 million in 2070, expanding from 2.2% in 2020, it said.
That projection reflects the likelihood that the government will need to bring in more foreign workers as the working-age population continues to shrink.
The Institute projects that those aged 65 or above in Japan will hit 33.67 million in 2070, comprising 40% of the total population.
The revised forecast data will be used by the government starting from next year to calculate the country’s future pension payouts.
The government is curretly considering expanding the areas in which skilled foreign workers can receive long-term work visas to 12 from three, possibly including the food service industry, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday.
Rapidly ageing Japan suffers from an increasingly severe shortage of labour in a number of sectors but remains reluctant to allow a widespread immigration of foreign labourers.
The change, which could allow workers to stay for extended periods and bring their families with them, could include sectors such as food manufacturing and could take effect as early as June, the Nikkei added.
Most migrant workers in Japan currently come from countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.
