Overview
- Official estimates put Japan’s 65-and-over population at 36.19 million, a record 29.4% of the total.
- Older employment climbed for the 21st straight year to a record 9.3 million, with a 25.7% employment rate for those 65 and over.
- One in seven workers nationwide is now 65 or older, reflecting expanded roles for later-life employment.
- The 65-plus population fell by about 50,000 from a year earlier to 15.68 million men and 20.51 million women.
- Japan’s elderly share is the highest among countries with populations above 40 million, and a May law revision made work-environment improvements for older employees an effort-based duty for employers.