Japan's population drops below 125 mln, down for 12th year

STORY: Japan's population drops below 125 mln, down for 12th yearDATELINE: April 14, 2023LENGTH: 00:00:53LOCATION: TokyoCATEGORY: SOCIETYSHOTLIST:1. various of street scenes in Japan2. various of Japanese peopleSTORYLINE:The population in Japan declined to 124.95 million in 2022, marking the 12th consecutive year of decline, government data showed Wednesday. As of Oct. 1 last year, the total population, including foreign residents, saw a decrease of 556,000, or 0.44 percent from the previous year, according to the latest population estimates released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. The number of Japanese nationals, which came in at 122 million, plunged by 750,000, the decline of which has been expanding since 2011, the ministry said in an online report. The figure represented the largest comparable decline since comparable data became available in 1950, Kyodo News reported. The government will address the country's falling birthrate "with the highest priorit