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Special Permanent Resident

Status of residence · Japan

Residents, December 2025
266,896
Share of all foreign residents
6.5%
Change on a year earlier
-2.6%
Nationalities
52
Residents266,896Dec 2025
Year by year
Data as at Dec 2025
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Residents by year

Foreign residents holding the Special Permanent Resident status of residence at the end of each December. Special permanent residents under the 1991 Special Act on immigration control of those who lost Japanese nationality under the Treaty of Peace.

Foreign residents

191k381k201220132014201520162017201820192022202320242025
191k381k2012201420162018202220242025
Data table
2012381,364
2013373,221
2014358,409
2015348,626
2016338,950
2017329,822
2018321,416
2019312,501
2022288,980
2023281,218
2024274,023
2025266,896
December 2025
266,896
December 2012
381,364
Work-related status
No
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Statistics on Foreign Residents (在留外国人統計), Table 1, end of December (e-Stat; Government of Japan Standard Terms of Use 2.0)Data as at Dec 2025

By nationality

Top 20 nationalities, end of December 2025. Hong Kong is shown separately but, as in the source table, is also counted within China.

Residents, December 2025
  1. South Korea241,712
  2. zz-chosen21,769
  3. Taiwan1,000
  4. United States884
  5. China610
  6. Australia162
  7. Canada129
  8. France108
  9. United Kingdom97
  10. Philippines46
  11. New Zealand42
  12. Brazil31
  13. Germany28
  14. Switzerland20
  15. Netherlands16
  16. Italy13
  17. Thailand12
  18. Sweden12
  19. Nigeria11
  20. Malaysia11
Nationality2022202320242025
South Korea260,605253,879247,809241,712
zz-chosen24,85423,82822,75121,769
Taiwan1,0541,0451,0131,000
United States854870881884
China713672644610
Australia155164167162
Canada118128128129
France98103104108
United Kingdom94959697
Philippines50505046
New Zealand38404142
Brazil34323131
Germany22272728
Switzerland23222120
Netherlands16161616
Italy14131313
Thailand11121212
Sweden13111112
Nigeria14141411
Malaysia11111111
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Statistics on Foreign Residents (在留外国人統計), Table 1, end of December (e-Stat; Government of Japan Standard Terms of Use 2.0)Data as at Dec 2025

Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more