The number of Japanese residents fell by 86,000 (0.7 percent) from a year before – marking its steepest decline ever – to 121,561,801. However, the number of foreign residents rose by 329,535 (11.1 percent) from last year to 3,323,374, hitting a record high since the ministry began collecting related data in 2013.

It was also the second consecutive year in which the number of foreign residents had increased in the country. The report's data on migration showed that for two years straight, Japan has experienced a net outflow of 7,000 to 10,000 people each year, which is greater than the number of returnees. But among foreign residents, more people have moved into the country than out, in the same period of time.