Tokyo, April 15 -- The population of Japanese nationals stood at 120.3 million as of October 2024, down a record 8,98,000 from a year earlier, a government estimate showed Monday, amid the graying of society and a declining birthrate, Kyodo News reported.

The total population in Japan, including foreign residents, also fell 5,50,000 to 123.8 million as of October 1 last year, marking the 14th consecutive year of decline, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.

The sharpest drop in Japanese nationals since comparable data became available in 1950 comes as the number of people aged at 14 and below dropped by 3,43,000 to 13.83 million, accounting for a record low of 11.2 per cent of the total population. In contrast, the ...