Japan's population of people aged 65 and older reached a record 36.25 million this year as the nation continues to struggle with one of the world's fastest-aging societies, according to government data.

The elderly now account for 29.3% of Japan's total population, also a new high, according to data released by the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry on Sunday.

The ministry said the proportion of elderly residents put Japan at the top of the list of 200 countries and regions with a population of over 100,000.

Italy, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Germany and Croatia represented Europe in the Top 10, with rates of over 20%.

South Korea stood at 19.3% and China 14.7%.

Japan is facing a steadily worsening population crisis, as its expanding elderly population leads to soaring medical and welfare costs, with a shrinking labour force to pay for it.

The country's overall population shrank by 595,000 to 124 million, according to previous government data.

Sunday's data showed that 9.14 million elderly people were employed in 2023, also a record.

They represent 13.5% of the total workforce – or one employee in seven.

The Japanese government has attempted to slow the decline and aging of its population without meaningful success.