An analysis of census data by KYODO published last Sunday shows that between
2020 and 2025 one-quarter of Japan's municipalities experienced population
declines exceed 10%. The number of municipalities with such falls rose to 477
in 2020–25 from 247 in 2015–20. Suzu in Ishikawa prefecture recorded the largest
drop, 34%; the city was heavily damaged by a 2024 earthquake. In Iwate and Akita
prefectures in northeastern Japan, and in Kochi prefectures in western Japan,
more than half of municipalities saw declines of this magnitude.