TOKYO - Tokyo’s net in-migration, defined as the number of people moving in exceeding those moving out, declined for the first time in four years last year, even as population inflows into the capital have remained elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Population Movement Report released on February 3rd by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Tokyo recorded a net in-migration of 65,219 people over the past year, a decrease of more than 14,000 compared with the previous year.
Although the figure marked the first decline in four years, Tokyo’s net in-migration has trended upward since the pandemic, underscoring the persistence of population concentration in the capital.
Across the country, 40 prefectures reported net population outflows, while seven prefectures posted net inflows, with Shiga Prefecture shifting back into net in-migration territory.
Looking at cross-border movement, 409,592 people moved from Japan to overseas destinations, while 782,165 moved into Japan from abroad, resulting in a net inflow of more than 370,000 people.
In both cases, the proportion of foreign nationals increased, highlighting a rise in active population movement among foreign residents both entering and leaving Japan.
Source: TBS
