Japan's population may drop by almost one-third by 2070

Researchers estimate Japan’s population will plunge slightly more than 30 percent to about 87 million by 2070.

The forecast was released Wednesday by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research based on the 2020 census.

As of 2020, about 126.15 million people were living in the country, including non-Japanese. The figure is expected to fall below 100 million in 2056.

The average Japanese life expectancy in 2020 was 81.58 years for men and 87.72 years for women. By 2070, this is expected to rise to 85.89 years and 91.94 years, respectively.

People aged 65 and older would account for 38.7 percent of Japan’s population in 2070, compared with 28.6 percent in 2020.

The number of annual births is expected to fall below 700,000 in 2043, which is three years earlier than the estimate six years ago.

The average number of children per woman has been lowered in making the new estimate.

On the other hand, the population of non-Japanese is expected to grow to 10.8 percent of the total by 2070. This is projected to slightly slow the decline in the number of people.

Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to study pension financing and consider measures to boost the birth rate based on the latest estimates.