TOKYO  –  People aged 65 and over account for a record-high 29.4 percent of Japan’s population, the finalized 2025 census results showed Tuesday, 0.9 percentage point higher than in the previous survey in 2020 and underscoring the rapidly graying society. The population of Japan including foreign residents fell 3.17 million, or 2.5 percent, from 2020 to 122,972,528 last year, according to the latest census. As in the preliminary results, the data showed that the total population declined for the third straight survey and that 30.1 percent was concentrated in the Tokyo metropolitan area as of Oct. 1, crossing the 30 percent threshold for the first time. Meanwhile, the internal affairs ministry, which is in charge of the census, conducted every five years since 1920, said Tuesday the city of Toyama in central Japan is suspected to have overreported its population by at least 2,000 people. The padding was allegedly conducted by rewriting survey sheets. Local government officials are suspected of deciding not to treat data by census takers recording no signs of habitation at properties as indicating no household was present.

In the census data announced Tuesday, the city’s population stood at 399,197, which was 2,936 fewer than the preliminary figure announced in May.

The incident came to light after an official at the Statistic Bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications visited Toyama in September after doubts emerged over the figure.