Japan's population fell by a record 800,000 people last year, declining in all 47 of its prefectures.

A declining birthrate saw the total population fall by 0.65 per cent, down to 122.4 million in 2022 from the previous year.

It is the 14th consecutive year the population of Japanese nations has fallen, according to data from the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry. 

This comes in spite of the number of foreign residents to the country reaching an all-time high of almost three million people, according to official data released today.

The ministry said that there was a 10.7 per cent jump in the number of foreign residents with addresses registered in Japan.

The data was collected from residency registrations up to January 1, 2023. 

The increase in Japan's foreign population was the biggest year-on-year rise since the ministry started taking statistics in 2013. 

Foreign residents now account for about 2.4% of Japan's population, the ministry said.

After peaking in 2008, Japan's population has since shrunk steadily due to a declining birthrate. The country saw a record low of 771,801 births last year.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has set tackling the declining births as one of his top policy goals.

He has also pledged to secure annual funding of about 3.5 trillion yen (£19.28 billion) over the next three years for a new child care package.

This would include child birth and rearing allowances and increased subsidies for higher education.