TOKYO — The number of foreign residents in Japan has reached an all-time high of 3.84 million, accounting for a record 3.1% of the country's total population.

According to an analysis of the 2025 Japan Population Census released by the Nikkei on the 8th, the foreign population surged by roughly 40% from the previous 2020 survey, which recorded 2.74 million residents. The proportion of foreign nationals relative to the total population climbed from 2.2% to 3.1%.

Key Demographics: Vietnam Rises to Second Place

By nationality, Chinese nationals remained the largest group, increasing by 18.0% from the previous survey to reach 923,013.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese nationals experienced a dramatic 59.0% surge, totaling 609,238 and surpassing Korean and Zainichi Korean residents to claim second place.

Vietnamese residents now account for 15.9% of all foreigners in Japan. This growth is primarily concentrated around the "Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services" visa category for professional fields.

Conversely, Korean and Zainichi Korean residents—who previously held the number two spot—dropped to third place with 398,495, a decrease of 8.3%.

Aging Trends Among Traditional Zainichi Communities

The data also highlighted rapid aging within the traditional Korean community. The aging rate (the proportion of individuals aged 65 and older) among Korean and Zainichi Korean residents rose by 2.7 percentage points to 30.6%, surpassing Japan's national average of 29.4%.

Note on "Zainichi" Status: The term "Zainichi Korean" (Chōsen-seki) originates from the post-World War II Japanese administrative classification for ethnic Koreans remaining in Japan. Those who did not change their legal status to "South Korea" remain under the "Chōsen" designation, effectively leaving them in a stateless status. This group includes many individuals affiliated with the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan (Chongryon), which has pro-North Korean ties.

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