- 14 Mar 2002
- 21,057
- 18,914
As of October 2025, the number of foreign workers in Japan totalled 2.57 million, an increase of 11.7% compared with the previous year, according to data released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The ministry linked the rise to ongoing labour shortages associated with Japan's declining population.
The foreign workforce has expanded for more than a decade and has reached a new record level for the thirteenth consecutive year. The 2025 figure is nearly three times the total recorded in 2015, when approximately 900,000 foreign nationals were employed in Japan. The data were released one week after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration announced a set of policies concerning foreign residents and visitors. These measures included tighter regulatory oversight and expanded access to Japanese-language education.
Changes have also occurred in the composition of the foreign workforce. Over the past decade, the number of workers from Southeast Asia has increased substantially, surpassing that of Chinese workers, who accounted for 35.5% of the total in 2015. The number of residents holding high-skilled professional visas rose from approximately 167,000 in 2015 to 866,000 in 2025.
Japanese nationals departing Japan rose to about 14.73 million, up about 1.72 million from the previous year. By nationality and region, the most significant number of new arrivals came from South Korea (approximately 9.23 million), followed by China (approximately 7.22 million) and Taiwan (approximately 6.39 million). Despite strong overall annual growth, arrivals from China declined in November and then fell to 280,746 in December, a 46.6% decrease from October, amid political tensions between the two countries.
The foreign workforce has expanded for more than a decade and has reached a new record level for the thirteenth consecutive year. The 2025 figure is nearly three times the total recorded in 2015, when approximately 900,000 foreign nationals were employed in Japan. The data were released one week after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's administration announced a set of policies concerning foreign residents and visitors. These measures included tighter regulatory oversight and expanded access to Japanese-language education.
Changes have also occurred in the composition of the foreign workforce. Over the past decade, the number of workers from Southeast Asia has increased substantially, surpassing that of Chinese workers, who accounted for 35.5% of the total in 2015. The number of residents holding high-skilled professional visas rose from approximately 167,000 in 2015 to 866,000 in 2025.
Japanese nationals departing Japan rose to about 14.73 million, up about 1.72 million from the previous year. By nationality and region, the most significant number of new arrivals came from South Korea (approximately 9.23 million), followed by China (approximately 7.22 million) and Taiwan (approximately 6.39 million). Despite strong overall annual growth, arrivals from China declined in November and then fell to 280,746 in December, a 46.6% decrease from October, amid political tensions between the two countries.
Foreign workers in Japan reach a record 2.57 million in 2025
The total was up 11.7% from a year earlier and comes amid an acute labor shortage in the rapidly aging country.