Japan's foreign resident population hits record 4.12 million

Japan was home to a record 4.12 million foreign residents as the end of 2025, an increase of 9.5% from a year earlier, the Immigration Services Agency said Friday.

It was the first time the number of foreign residents in Japan exceeded 4 million.

The number of foreign overstayers as of Jan. 1 this year fell 8.5% from a year before to 68,488, marking the second straight year of decline.

The agency also said that the number of foreign nationals who entered Japan last year climbed 15.4% from the previous year to a record high of 42 million, surpassing 40 million for the first time.

Meanwhile, the total number of foreign residents included 930,428 people from China, the largest group by nationality, followed by 681,100 from Vietnam and 407,341 from South Korea.

By status of residence, permanent residents made up the largest group, at 947,125, followed by specialists in engineering, humanities and international services, at 475,790, and foreign students, at 464,784.

In the list of overstayers, Vietnamese accounted for 11,601, followed by Thais, at 10,907, and South Koreans, at 10,020.

Of those deported under written deportation orders, 318 were sent back at Japan's expense with escort officers, up 27.7% from the previous year and marking a record high. The Japanese government has been working to reduce the number of overstayers under a program compiled in May last year. The agency believes that the decline in the number of overstayers can be attributed to the program.

The number of people who applied for refugee status in 2025 totaled 11,298, down by 1,075 from the previous year. Of them, 187 applicants were granted refugee status, down by three. People from Afghanistan accounted for the highest number, at 123.

A total of 474 evacuees were granted quasi-refugee status, offered to those fleeing conflict zones who are not recognized as refugees under the U.N. convention, with people from Ukraine accounting for 386 of the total.