The net inflow of population in the greater Tokyo (Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa) area has increased for the 22nd year in a row. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the area saw 419,283 new residents in 2017, with a net inflow of 119,779. Tokyo’s 23 wards saw a total of 361,906 new residents and a net inflow of 61,158.

Click here to view the graph Net Inflow / Outflow of residents in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya (1954 - 2017)

The Nagoya region saw a net outflow of 4,979 residents, while the Osaka area (Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo and Nara) saw a net outflow of 8,825 residents. This is the 5th year in a row to record a net outflow for these two regions.

Of the 47 prefectures across Japan, 7 (Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa, Fukuoka, Aichi and Osaka) saw a net inflow while the remaining 40 saw populations decline. Fukushima Prefecture saw the largest net outflow with 8,395 residents moving to other prefectures. This is the 3rd year in a row to see a year-on-year increase in the net outflow. Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures also saw a net outflow in 2017.

Hokkaido saw the 3rd largest net outflow across Japan with an outflow of 6,569 residents. On a city-basis, Kita-Kyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture saw the largest net outflow with a loss of 2,248 residents in 2017. Osaka’s Sakai City was in 2nd spot with a net outflow of 2,211 residents (almost double the outflow in 2016), while Yokosuka City saw a net outflow of 1,112 residents.

Note: The data does not include foreign residents.

Source: Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, January 29, 2018.

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