Over 37,000 People In Japan Died Alone In Their Homes In 2024 So Far, Amid National Loneliness Crisis
2 Sep 2024
More than 37,000 people living alone in Japan were found dead in their homes during the first six months of 2024, as the country continues to grapple with its loneliness epidemic.
The figures were released by Japan’s National Police Agency to highlight the problem of unattended deaths among the country’s aging population.
40% of people who died alone at home were found within a day.
Shockingly 4,000 people were only discovered over a month after they had died, while 130 bodies went undiscovered for more than a year.
More than 75% of 37,000 comprised of people who were 65 or older, with the largest subgroup at nearly 7,500 being made up of people who were 85 or older.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said his country is on the brink of not being able to function as a society because of its declining birth rate.
Japan currently has the world’s oldest population, according to the United Nations.
The number of people 65 and older living alone in Japan is expected to reach 10.8 million by 2025.