One in 10 citizens in Japan is aged 80 or older, as the proportion of elderly people reached a new high, according to Interior Ministry figures released on Sunday.

The elderly in Japan, i.e. by definition citizens aged 65 and over, represent 29.1% of the total population (including a new record), according to the demographic analysis announced by the Ministry of the Interior ahead of today’s Day of Respect for the elderly.

Japan is considered to be the country with the most elderly people in the world. However, it was the first time since 1950 that the number of elderly people in Japan fell: by about 10,000 compared to the previous year, to 36.2 million.

The number of citizens aged 75 and over exceeded 20 million for the first time. Seniors aged 80 and over increased by 270,000 compared to last year and now stand at 12.5 million, accounting for more than 10% of Japan’s total population.

It is also noteworthy that the number of citizens aged 65 and over who are still working increased for the 19th consecutive year to an estimated 9.12 million. The percentage of older workers increased this year to 25.2%. With nearly one in seven workers in Japan considered “elderly,” this percentage is the highest among the world’s economically developed countries.

Given the low birth rate and labor shortage in a rapidly aging society, Japan’s Ministry of the Interior highlights that it expects the aforementioned indicators to increase further in the coming years.