Foreign population – 2024 | 2.7% of the population | Nationalities: |
3.4 million, 50% women | Evolution since 2014: +65% | China (24%), Viet Nam (17%), Korea (12%) |
International Migration Outlook 2025
In 2024, Japan received 177 000 new immigrants on a long-term or permanent basis (including changes of status), 8.6% more than in 2023. This figure comprises 63% labour migrants, 34% family members (including accompanying family) and 1% humanitarian migrants. Around 167 000 permits were issued to tertiary-level international students, 102 000 to temporary and seasonal labour migrants and 165 000 to trainees.
Viet Nam, China and Indonesia were the top three nationalities of newcomers in 2023. Among the top 15 countries of origin, Indonesia registered the strongest increase (16 000) and Nepal the largest decrease (‑4 900) in flows to Japan compared to the previous year.
In 2024, the number of first asylum applicants decreased by ‑1.3%, to reach around 14 000. The majority of applicants came from Sri Lanka (2 500), Thailand (2 100) and Türkiye (1 200). The largest increase since 2023 concerned nationals of Thailand (1 900) and the largest decrease nationals of Sri Lanka (‑1 300). Of the 15 000 decisions taken in 2024, 15% were positive.
Emigration of Japanese citizens to OECD countries increased by 0.9% in 2023, to 22 000. Approximately 20% of this group migrated to Germany, 17% to the United States and 8% to the Netherlands.
Japan enacted new legislation in June 2024 that abolished the Technical Intern Training Programme and will replace it with a new programme named “Employment for Skill Development.” It aims to secure and develop human resources in fields facing labour shortages and will serve as a stepping stone to the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) System. The new programme will start in April 2027.
The sectors covered by the SSW System, introduced in 2019, have been successively expanded to a total of 16 fields in 2024. The latest fields to be included are: Automobile transportation business, Railway, Forestry and Wood industry. While SSW(i) status can be renewed up to five years in total, SSW(ii) can be renewed indefinitely, support dependents, and eventually permanent residence may be granted.
In August 2024, Japan signed a Memorandum of Co‑operation (MoC) with the Republic of Tajikistan on the SSW System. The Republic of Tajikistan is the 17th country to sign a MoC since the launch of the programme in 2019.
Japan has introduced a new possibility for graduates to stay in Japan for job search. Under the “Job-seeking Promotion Project for Foreign Students Graduating from Overseas Universities in National Strategic Special Zones” created in March 2024, graduates from overseas institutions who graduate from a Japanese‑language institute in Japan may apply for a Designated Activities visa to remain in Japan and search for a job for up to one year.
In June 2024, a Partial Amendment of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act introduced a sponsorship system for migrants subject to deportation procedures. Migrants subject to deportation procedures were thus far detained. Under this new system, migrants are not detained but are under the support of a Sponsor throughout the procedure.
In May 2025, Japan released a compilation of measures, the Zero Illegal Immigrants Plan for the Safety and Security of the People (tentative), to speed up deportations, including misused and abusive applications for refugee status recognition.
On the integration side, the “Comprehensive Measures for Acceptance and Coexistence of Foreign Nationals” established in 2018 continue to be revised annually. In 2022, Japan formulated a “Roadmap for the Realization of a Society of Harmonious Coexistence with Foreign Nationals” that shows Japan’s visions of society of harmonious coexistence with foreign nationals. In 2024, the Immigration Services Agency launched the first edition of a six‑month programme to train Support Co‑ordinators for Foreign Nationals. The co‑ordinators support the integration of immigrants in all areas of life in Japan. Starting in 2024, January is designated “Life in harmony promotion month”. Throughout the month, various awareness-raising activities are carried out, such as the “All together festival”.
Persons under complementary protection will benefit from the same support measures as refugees. The “Settlement Support Programme” started in April 2024 and includes Japanese language classes and lifestyle guidance among other integration support measures.
Further information: www.mhlw.go.jp/english | www.isa.go.jp/en | www.moj.go.jp.
