Key facts
- Japan's foreign resident population reached a record 4,125,395 at the end of December 2025.
- This marks a 9.5% increase from the previous year.
- The number of specified skilled workers increased by 37.2%.
- China and Vietnam remain the largest foreign national groups.
- Nepal experienced the most significant increase in foreign residents among the top nationalities.
Japan's foreign population has reached an all-time high of 4.12 million as of the end of December 2025, marking a significant increase of 9.5% from the previous year. This surge is largely attributed to a substantial rise in the number of individuals on specified skilled worker visas, designed to address labor shortages in critical sectors.
According to data from the Immigration Services Agency, the foreign resident population grew by 356,418 year-on-year. The Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program, introduced in 2019, saw a 37.2% increase, with 390,296 residents now under this status. This visa category is crucial for industries facing labor deficits, such as healthcare and the restaurant sector.
By nationality, Chinese residents remain the largest group at 930,428, followed by Vietnamese at 681,100. Notably, Nepal saw the largest increase among the top nationalities, with its foreign population in Japan growing by nearly 68,000, surpassing 300,000 for the first time. This growth highlights a shift towards new arrivals from South and Southeast Asia.
Over the past decade, Japan's foreign population has nearly doubled, growing by approximately 1.9 million since the end of 2015. This demographic shift underscores the increasing reliance on foreign nationals to fill workforce gaps in an aging society.