News Foreign resident population in Japan hits record 3.95 million

thomas · 11 Oct 2025

Japan's foreign resident population has climbed to an all-time high, nearing four million. Figures released by the Immigration Services Agency show that, as of the end of June, 3,956,619 foreign nationals were living in the country — roughly 190,000 more than at the close of 2024, the largest number ever recorded.

By nationality and region, Chinese nationals make up the largest group with 900,738 residents, followed by Vietnamese at 660,483 and South Koreans at 409,584. Meanwhile, the number of foreigners staying illegally in Japan totaled 71,229 as of July, a decrease of 3,634, or 4.9%, compared with six months earlier. Vietnamese accounted for the largest share with 13,070, followed by Thais with 10,924 and South Koreans with 10,286. The government has set a goal of reducing the number of people overstaying their visas to zero.

Number Of Foreign Residents In Japan Reaches Record 3.95 Million

The number of foreign residents in Japan has reached a record high of nearly 4 million, according to the Immigration Services Agency. As of the end of June, 3,956,619 foreign nationals were living in the country, an increase of about 190,000 from the end of 2024, marking the highest total on record.

newsonjapan.com

According to the Immigration Services Agency, 3,956,619 foreign nationals resided in Japan as of the end of June, up 5.0%, or 187,000, from the end of 2024, with the number of those on the specified skilled workers visa introduced in 2019 surging by 18.2%, or about 51,000. By residential status, permanent residents comprised the largest group at 932,090, up 1.5%, followed by a visa category for engineers, specialists in humanities and international services, including interpreters, which rose 9.4% to 458,109. They were followed by trainees under Japan's much-criticized Technical Intern Training Program at 449,432, down 1.6%, ahead of the program's scheduled abolition in April 2027. Specified skilled workers ranked fifth in number, totaling 336,196. Among them, 3,073 held the No. 2 category of the visa, which requires advanced skills and offers a pathway to permanent residency, a sharp increase from 832 at the end of last year, the data showed.

The majority of foreign residents were from China, Vietnam, and South Korea, in that order, while the number of those from Myanmar rose 19.2% and from Nepal by 17.2% compared with the end of 2024, with both countries ranking among the top 10.

No. of foreign residents in Japan hits record high, surge in foreign labor - The Mainichi

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of legal foreign residents in Japan has topped 3.95 million, a new record, government data showed Friday, as the country a

mainichi.jp

News Foreign resident population in Japan hits record 3.95 million

thomas

Unswerving cyclist

Number Of Foreign Residents In Japan Reaches Record 3.95 Million

No. of foreign residents in Japan hits record high, surge in foreign labor - The Mainichi

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