{
  "id": 8880318,
  "title": "Proportion of Elderly Population in Japan Hits Record High",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/proportion-of-elderly-population-in-japan-hits-record-high",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T08:17:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun",
    "slug": "the-japan-news-by-the-yomiuri-shimbun",
    "url": "https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/news-services/jiji-press/20260921-349844/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japan's elderly population reached a record high of 36.24 million as of September 15, according to the internal affairs ministry. This represents a 20,000-person increase from the previous year, leading up to Respect for the Aged Day on Monday. The proportion of elderly individuals in Japan's total population climbed to a record 29.6%, the highest among 39 countries with populations of over 40 million in 2026. Italy and Germany followed with 25.6% and 24.2% respectively.\n\nThe elderly demographic comprises 15.71 million men and 20.54 million women, accounting for 26.3% and 32.6% of the male and female populations respectively. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research projects that this share will rise to 34.8% by 2040, when the second baby boomers born between 1971 and 1974 reach 65 years of age.\n\nIn 2025, the number of elderly workers (aged 65 and over) hit a record high of 9.43 million, comprising 13.8% of all workers aged 15 and over in the country. Among these, 1.31 million worked in wholesale and retail, 1.22 million in medical and welfare, and 1.08 million in services. Of the 5.86 million elderly workers not in executive positions, 4.46 million, or 76.1%, were nonregular employees.",
  "summary": "Yomiuri Shimbun file photoThe Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, in 2021 Jiji Press [posttime] JST, [postdate] TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The number of people aged 65 and older in Japan is estimated to have totaled 36.24 million as of Sept. 15, up by 20,000 from a year earlier, the internal affairs ministry …",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "News On Japan",
        "title": "Japan's Elderly Population Hits Record 29.6%",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/japans-elderly-population-hits-record-29-6",
        "published": "2026-09-21T07:36:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}