Tokyo’s population sees y-o-y drop for first time in over 24 years (due to shrinking foreigner population)
In February, the population of the Tokyo metropolitan area dropped 662 residents from this time last year. This was the first time since June 1996 that the city’s population has seen a year-on-year drop. The decline is said to be due to both a net outflow of residents to surrounding prefectures as well as fewer births, but the data suggests a different story.
Tokyo records net outflow of foreign residents in 2020
According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Statistics Division’s report on population movements in the capital in 2020, the metropolitan area saw the total population grow by 8,600 residents (both Japanese and foreigners) over the year. This is the 25th year in a row to see a year-on-year increase. The total population in the metropolitan area reached 13,960,236 residents as of January 1, 2021, while the population of the 23 wards increased by 2,154 to 9,655,266 residents.
Tokyo records net inflow of residents in 2020
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the greater Tokyo area, which includes Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa, saw a net inflow of 99,243 new residents in 2020. This was the 25th year in a row to see a net inflow.
Japanese residents stay, while foreigners exit central Tokyo
The population of the Tokyo metropolitan area as of November 1 had dropped by 7,358 from the previous month to 13,847,040 residents. This is the first time since 1993 that the month of November had seen a month-on-month decrease. Recent news articles have been pointing the finger at the work-from-home trend and an exodus to surrounding prefectures as the main cause of the decline, and while that may be the cause for some of the numbers, the same articles gloss over the startling outflow of foreign residents.
The two sides of Tokyo's shrinking population
In the month of September, the population of Tokyo’s metropolitan area dropped by 10,673 residents. While that might paint a grim picture, the population is up 28,253 residents from the same time last year. Ultimately the numbers still aren’t convincing enough to show that telecommuting is causing a great exodus from the capital. Almost half of September’s decrease can be attributed to a large and ongoing outflow of foreign residents, which may also be a result of the lack of incoming foreign workers and students due to international travel bans.
Tokyo’s population exceeds 14 million for the first time in history
The population of the Tokyo metropolitan area reached a record high of 14 million as of May 1. The continued centralization of capital, company headquarters, and universities has been the main attractor for students and young workers.
Greater Tokyo sees net inflow in population for 24th year
The population of the greater Tokyo area (Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba) saw a net inflow in 2019 of 148,783 new residents, a 6.4% improvement from 2018, and the 24th year in a row to see positive growth.