Japan's over-65s hit record high 36.25 mil; 1 in 4 working

Japan's over-65s hit a record high 36.25 million in 2024, up 20,000 from the previous year, while one in four people of the age group had jobs, government data showed Sunday, underscoring the Asian country's rapidly aging society.

Those aged 65 and older, defined as the elderly in Japan, accounted for 29.3 percent of the total population, also a fresh high and giving the country the highest proportion of citizens in this age bracket worldwide, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in the data released ahead of Monday's Respect for the Aged Day.

As of Sunday, the number of women aged 65 or older stood at an estimated 20.53 million, while the number of men of the same age group was 15.72 million.

Around 12.90 million people were aged 80 and over, accounting for 10.4 percent of the population and exceeding the 10 percent line for a second consecutive year.

Japan's elderly population rate remained the highest among 200 countries and regions with at least 100,000 people, according to the data. Italy and Portugal, ranked among the top five, were at 24.6 percent and 24.5 percent, respectively, while South Korea stood at 19.3 percent, and China 14.7 percent.

The proportion of seniors is expected to reach 34.8 percent of the population in 2040, once those born in the second baby boom of 1971 to 1974 become elderly, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

The ministry's labor survey, meanwhile, showed some 9.14 million elderly people were in employment in 2023, a new high, and making up 13.5 percent of the overall workforce.

By industry, the most were employed in wholesale trade and retail businesses, followed by the health care and welfare sector, and the service industry.

The number of elderly people employed in the medical and nursing care industry, which faces persistent labor shortages, was up about 2.4 times from 10 years earlier to 1.07 million.

Japan's over-65s hit record high 36.25 mil; 1 in 4 working

Japan's over-65s hit record high 36.25 mil; 1 in 4 working

Japan's over-65s hit record high 36.25 mil; 1 in 4 working

Japan's over-65s hit record high 36.25 mil; 1 in 4 working

Japan's over-65s hit record high 36.25 mil; 1 in 4 working