Japan's population as of Oct. 1, 2017, was estimated to be 126.706 million, down from a year earlier by 227,000, or 0.18 percent, and marking the seventh straight year of decline, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry announced Friday.
The estimate includes foreign residents.
The population of people aged 65 or older stood at 35.152 million, up 561,000, or 1.6 percent. This figure accounts for a record high 27.7 percent of the total population and was the first time that this age bracket's population has topped 35 million.
Of the 65 or older age group, those aged 75 or older came to 17.482 million, accounting for 13.8 percent of the total population, or one in seven people.
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