Tokyo’s Net Population Rises for 3rd Straight Year; 6 Other Prefectures in Japan See Net Inflow

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:23 JST, January 31, 2025

Tokyo posted a net population inflow for the third consecutive year in 2024, according to a report by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry released Friday.

The data showed the concentration of people in the capital has increased again after the subsiding of the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the Report on Internal Migration in Japan Derived from the Basic Resident Registration for 2024, 461,454 people moved to Tokyo, while 382,169 moved out, leading to a 79,285 net inflow. This is more than 14 times the record low net inflow of 5,433 in 2021, and almost reaches 82,982 in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

A major factor for the increase is likely people between 10 and early 30s moving to Tokyo for education or jobs.

The Tokyo metropolitan area, which comprises Tokyo and Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, saw a net inflow of 135,843, with people who moved in exceeding those who moved out for the third consecutive year.

The Osaka metropolitan area, which comprises Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto and Nara prefectures, posted a net inflow of 2,679, seeing its first net inflow since 2014 when such comparative data became available.

Seven prefectures — Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Osaka, Chiba, Fukuoka and Yamanashi — posted a net population inflow.