TOKYO, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The number of foreign residents living in Japan has reached a record-high 3.95 million, as the country accepts more foreign workers amid a severe labor shortage, government data showed Friday.
According to figures released by the Immigration Services Agency, 3,956,619 foreign nationals resided in Japan as of the end of June, up 5.0 percent, or 187,000, from the end of 2024, accounting for 3.21 percent of the country's total population.
By residential status, permanent residents comprised the largest group at 932,090, up 1.5 percent, followed by a visa category for engineers, specialists in humanities and international services, including interpreters, which increased 9.4 percent to 458,109.
At the current pace, the number of foreign residents is expected to come to 4.15 million at the end of this year, the immigration agency said.
In the first half of 2025, the number of foreigners entering Japan reached a record 21.3 million, marking a 21 percent increase from a year before and growing at a pace that could bring the annual total for this year to a record 45 million. ■