Japan's population down 640,000 in 2021, biggest drop on record

Tokyo shrinks for first time in 26 years as national total falls to 125.5m

Nikkei -- Apr 15

Japan's population totaled 125,502,000 as of Oct. 1, down 644,000 from a year earlier, marking the biggest decline on record, according to government data released Friday.

The fall was attributed to stricter border restrictions propelled by the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said. The tally includes foreign nationals.