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Foreign workers in Japan

Employment reports · Japan

Foreign workers, October 2025
2,571,037
Change on a year earlier
+11.7%
Workplaces employing foreign workers
371,215
Largest industry
Manufacturing
Largest nationality
Vietnam
Workers2,571,037Oct 2025
Year by year
Data as at Dec 2025
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Foreign workers by year

Foreign workers reported by employers, and workplaces employing them, at the end of each October. Special permanent residents and holders of Diplomat and Official statuses are not reported.

Foreign workers

1.29M2.57M20212022202320242025
1.29M2.57M20212022202320242025
Data table
20211,727,221
20221,822,725
20232,048,675
20242,302,587
20252,571,037

Workplaces employing foreign workers

186k371k20212022202320242025
186k371k20212022202320242025
Data table
2021285,080
2022298,790
2023318,775
2024342,087
2025371,215
Foreign workers, October 2025
2,571,037
Change on a year earlier
+11.7%
Workplaces
371,215
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Status of reports on the employment of foreign workers (「外国人雇用状況」の届出状況), end of October 2025 (Public Data License 1.0, compatible with CC BY 4.0)Data as at Oct 2025

By industry

Major groups of the Japan Standard Industrial Classification, end of October 2025. The last column is the share working at workplaces engaged in worker dispatching or contracting.

IndustryWorkplacesForeign workersVia dispatch or contracting
Agriculture and forestry14,60465,1532.5%
Fisheries1,8847,0810.4%
Mining and quarrying of stone and gravel11352612.2%
Construction50,133206,4685.1%
Manufacturing58,400635,07512.1%
Electricity, gas, heat supply and water2179057.0%
Information and communications14,36697,92412.2%
Transport and postal activities10,46485,47717.2%
Wholesale and retail trade70,358340,6873.4%
Finance and insurance1,67714,1515.3%
Real estate and goods rental and leasing5,79226,9848.3%
Scientific research, professional and technical services14,59290,70320.1%
Accommodations, eating and drinking services53,855319,9992.9%
Living-related and personal services and amusement services7,15733,92812.6%
Education, learning support8,02683,2255.4%
Medical, health care and welfare26,076146,1052.8%
Compound services1,7267,43111.6%
Services, n.e.c.28,549391,94665.7%
Government, except elsewhere classified1,96311,4615.5%
Industries unable to classify1,2635,8089.6%
Industry20212022202320242025
Construction110,018116,789144,981177,902206,468
Manufacturing465,729485,128552,399598,314635,075
Information and communications70,60875,95485,40190,54697,924
Wholesale and retail trade228,998237,928263,555298,348340,687
Accommodations, eating and drinking services203,492208,981233,911273,333319,999
Education, learning support73,50676,85480,03382,90283,225
Medical, health care and welfare57,78874,33990,839116,350146,105
Services, n.e.c.282,127295,700320,755354,418391,946
Other industries234,955251,052276,801310,474349,608
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Status of reports on the employment of foreign workers (「外国人雇用状況」の届出状況), end of October 2025 (Public Data License 1.0, compatible with CC BY 4.0)Data as at Oct 2025

By nationality

End of October 2025. China includes Hong Kong and Macao. Nationalities not listed are published only as a combined 'other' group.

Nationality20212022202320242025ConstructionManufacturingAccommodation and foodHealth and welfare
Vietnam453,344462,384518,364570,708605,90674,471226,91464,03924,820
China397,084385,848397,918408,805431,94915,69469,88054,64212,878
Philippines191,083206,050226,846245,565260,86922,80782,56116,62223,861
Nepal98,260118,196145,587187,657235,8743,42826,78069,20410,608
Indonesia52,81077,889121,507169,539228,11851,53174,0038,69328,224
Myanmar34,50147,49871,188114,618163,3119,94224,82840,99627,361
Brazil134,977135,167137,132136,173134,6454,65449,9884,7042,550
South Korea67,63867,33571,45475,00380,1931,6277,31310,4153,475
Sri Lanka19,93822,89929,27339,13650,4272,3006,38912,5302,176
Thailand29,35531,99836,54339,80641,4682,04418,2254,1781,597
United States33,14134,17834,86134,45935,0073061,418919638
India19,16922,25525,59828,43831,6366364,5734,447674
Peru31,38131,26331,58431,57431,4481,55610,1021,6261,216
United Kingdom11,91712,47012,94513,01713,39961491381194
Foreign workers, October 2025
  1. Vietnam605,906
  2. China431,949
  3. Philippines260,869
  4. Nepal235,874
  5. Indonesia228,118
  6. Myanmar163,311
  7. Brazil134,645
  8. South Korea80,193
  9. Sri Lanka50,427
  10. Thailand41,468
  11. United States35,007
  12. India31,636
  13. Peru31,448
  14. United Kingdom13,399
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Status of reports on the employment of foreign workers (「外国人雇用状況」の届出状況), end of October 2025 (Public Data License 1.0, compatible with CC BY 4.0)Data as at Oct 2025

By nationality and status of residence

End of October 2025.

NationalityProfessional and technical statusesof which Specified Skilled WorkerTechnical Intern TrainingStudents working part-timeStatus-based (permanent residents, spouses, long-term residents)Designated Activities
Vietnam229,983109,967218,60077,50923,76831,080
China185,33715,69730,52150,496146,3785,768
Philippines46,26226,63447,0192,344157,4216,414
Nepal62,62510,2714,414114,2597,4453,843
Indonesia83,05369,465119,9805,8757,76210,677
Myanmar55,09337,61936,98633,4364,54031,882
Brazil1,2472646510132,560214
South Korea35,524402165,83434,0213,738
Sri Lanka17,0723,1182,85521,0213,5622,843
Thailand11,1414,52613,6631,60213,8581,034
United States20,59616477313,168156
India22,0676561,3261,7983,6331,288
Peru243158510030,94169
United Kingdom7,6971281915,215223
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Status of reports on the employment of foreign workers (「外国人雇用状況」の届出状況), end of October 2025 (Public Data License 1.0, compatible with CC BY 4.0)Data as at Oct 2025

By prefecture

Foreign workers and workplaces at the end of each October.

PrefectureWorkplaces, 2025202320242025
Tokyo87,512542,992585,791652,251
Aichi Prefecture28,976210,159229,627249,076
Osaka Prefecture31,715146,384174,699208,051
Kanagawa Prefecture24,200119,466134,101148,888
Saitama Prefecture19,780103,515120,062133,049
Chiba Prefecture16,73578,85492,516105,829
Shizuoka Prefecture10,96774,85981,56088,968
Fukuoka Prefecture13,68264,99076,19985,385
Hyogo Prefecture12,20457,37566,16577,016
Ibaraki Prefecture10,15654,87561,90967,500
Gunma Prefecture6,74450,32456,93861,040
Hiroshima Prefecture7,12144,09348,35151,821
Hokkaido8,85435,43943,88151,358
Gifu Prefecture6,09440,02843,73347,534
Kyoto Prefecture6,59028,50634,78640,993
Mie Prefecture5,30033,75337,09140,236
Tochigi Prefecture5,57632,72835,56938,817
Nagano Prefecture5,34824,89327,83430,672
Okayama Prefecture3,94224,05226,67629,612
Shiga Prefecture2,77324,79124,99025,667
Kumamoto Prefecture4,40418,22621,43724,076
Okinawa Prefecture3,69714,40617,23920,354
Miyagi Prefecture3,40516,58619,55420,234
Ishikawa Prefecture2,50013,06815,09216,922
Niigata Prefecture2,90212,46214,35816,626
Kagoshima Prefecture2,67912,01514,24016,562
Kagawa Prefecture2,35812,30214,42816,557
Toyama Prefecture2,65113,42714,93016,460
Ehime Prefecture2,55912,47614,55015,925
Fukui Prefecture1,97411,10113,59415,169
Fukushima Prefecture2,57311,98713,71015,079
Oita Prefecture2,5089,98212,17614,378
Yamaguchi Prefecture2,35310,93112,75414,042
Yamanashi Prefecture2,26311,22712,46213,732
Nagasaki Prefecture2,3388,66311,09612,807
Nara Prefecture2,0298,4479,92911,418
Saga Prefecture1,6397,3508,7499,932
Miyazaki Prefecture1,6737,0218,5159,718
Iwate Prefecture1,3117,0827,8668,415
Tokushima Prefecture1,4005,6566,4527,324
Yamagata Prefecture1,3615,7436,6617,283
Aomori Prefecture1,1335,5846,1906,882
Wakayama Prefecture1,2644,6825,7116,808
Shimane Prefecture1,0084,9785,6756,184
Kochi Prefecture1,3324,5105,2935,916
Tottori Prefecture7953,5263,9124,478
Akita Prefecture8373,1613,5363,993
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Status of reports on the employment of foreign workers (「外国人雇用状況」の届出状況), end of October 2025 (Public Data License 1.0, compatible with CC BY 4.0)Data as at Oct 2025

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