Hokkaido’s registered population has fallen below five million for the first time, while foreign residents increased at the fastest rate of any prefecture and Kutchan recorded Japan’s largest rise among towns and villages.
Hokkaido’s registered population has fallen below five million for the first time since the current population survey began in 1968. Figures released by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications show that Hokkaido had a total population of 4,996,492 as of 1 January 2026. That was 48,333 lower than a year earlier, representing a decline of 0.96%.
The number of Japanese residents fell to 4,921,100, down 58,104, or 1.17% and Hokkaido recorded the largest numerical decline in its Japanese population among Japan’s prefectures for the 14th consecutive year. In contrast, foreign residents continued to move in the opposite direction. Hokkaido’s foreign population reached a record 75,392, increasing by 9,771, or 14.89%, from the previous year. This was the highest growth rate among Japan’s 47 prefectures.
The increase was especially pronounced in parts of the Niseko region where Kutchan’s foreign population rose by 652 to 4,279, the largest annual increase recorded by any town or village in Japan. The increase helped lift Kutchan’s total population by 277 during the year.
Niseko Town recorded an overall increase of 107 residents, while Rusutsu Village grew by 44. Together with Kutchan, they were among only six Hokkaido municipalities whose total populations increased. The other three were Nanporo, Higashikawa and Abira, where domestic migration rather than foreign employment was the main driver of growth.
Nanporo recorded the largest overall increase in Hokkaido, adding 248 residents. The town has attracted families from Sapporo and other areas through relatively affordable residential land and a housing-construction subsidy offering eligible households up to ¥2 million. Higashikawa, located close to Asahikawa and Asahikawa Airport, grew by 22 residents. The town has pursued domestic migration for several decades and has also introduced a program under which vacant homes are leased, renovated and offered to prospective residents. Abira recorded a net gain of 20 people, supported by investment in education, public facilities and family-focused migration policies. The town has also benefited from its access to New Chitose Airport.
Despite the strong rise in foreign residents, Hokkaido’s overall population continued to decline because the reduction in Japanese residents was much larger. The pace of foreign-resident growth also slowed from the previous year. The number of Hokkaido municipalities recording an increase in foreign residents fell from 157 to 146, while the annual increase across the prefecture was 967 lower than in the preceding year.
Foreign workers now play an important role across Hokkaido’s tourism, construction, agriculture, food processing and care sectors. However, population levels can be affected quickly by the staffing decisions of individual employers, changes to residence and employment rules, and the attractiveness of wages in Japan relative to other countries.
Nationally, Japan’s total registered population fell by 563,048 to 123,767,642. The Japanese population declined by more than 916,000 and fell below 120 million for the first time in 42 years. Japan’s foreign-resident population, meanwhile, rose by 9.62% to a record 4,031,159, with increases recorded in every prefecture.
The latest figures underline the widening demographic gap between most of Hokkaido and a small number of municipalities still able to attract workers or domestic migrants. In the Niseko region, international tourism and employment continue to support population growth, but also place increasing pressure on housing, transport and year-round community infrastructure.
Sources
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Population, Demographics and Household Survey Based on the Basic Resident Register, as of 1 January 2026.
- Hokkaido Shimbun, 30 July 2026.