Share of people aged 65 and over in Japan reaches record 29.6% — The Japan Times
In Japan, the share of the population aged 65 and over has reached a record 29.6%. As of September 15, 2026, the number of people in this age group was estimated at 36.24 million — 20,000 more than a year earlier. The data were released by the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications ahead of Respect for the Aged Day, The Japan Times reports.
The highest share among large countries
According to the ministry, Japan has the largest share of residents aged 65 and over among 39 countries with populations exceeding 40 million. In Italy, the figure stands at 25.6%, in Germany at 24.2%, and in France at 22.9%.
The share of elderly people in Japan has been rising for decades: from 4.9% in 1950 to more than 10% in 1985 and more than 20% in 2005. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research forecasts that the figure will rise to 34.8% by 2040 and to 37.1% by 2050.
Women make up the majority of the population aged 65 and over: there are 20.54 million of them, or 32.6% of all women in the country. There are 15.71 million men in this age group, accounting for 26.3% of the male population. There are 76.5 men aged 65 and over for every 100 women aged 65 and over.
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The number of people aged 70 and over increased by 80,000 to 29.11 million, or 23.7% of the population. The number of people aged 75 and over rose by 430,000 to 21.68 million, equal to 17.7% of the population.
Elderly people in the labor market
The number of employed people aged 65 and over in 2025 increased for the 22nd consecutive year and reached a record 9.43 million people. This was 130,000 more than in the previous year. They accounted for 13.8% of all employed people aged 15 and over — approximately every seventh worker.
The employment rate among people aged 65 and over rose by 0.3 percentage points to 26%. Among those aged 65–69, it was 54.5%; in the 70–74 age group, 36.2%; and among those aged 75 and over, 12.6%.
Of the 5.86 million employees aged 65 and over who were not company executives, 4.46 million, or 76.1%, worked in non-regular positions, including on contracts or part-time. The largest number of elderly workers were employed in wholesale and retail trade — 1.31 million, in medical and social services — 1.22 million, and in other service sectors — 1.08 million.
