The Immigration Services Agency released three sets of statistics on October 16, 2026, covering the number of foreign residents, overstayers, and entry and exit figures for Japan around mid-2026. Together the reports describe a growing resident foreign population even as the number of people unlawfully overstaying their visas continues to fall.

According to the agency, the number of foreign residents in Japan as of the end of June 2026 reached 4,281,026, a record high and an increase of 155,631 people, or 3.8%, compared with the end of the previous year ^[2]. This total includes 4,017,321 mid- to long-term residents and 263,705 special permanent residents ^[2]. Men made up 51.2% of this population and women 48.8% ^[2]. By nationality, China remained the largest group with 941,031 people, followed by Vietnam, South Korea, the Philippines, and Nepal; all top ten nationalities increased except Brazil, which fell slightly ^[2]. By residency status, permanent residents were the largest category at 961,342, followed by Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services visa holders, students, technical intern trainees, and Specified Skilled Worker visa holders, with the Specified Skilled Worker category showing the largest single increase of 53,960 people ^[2]. Tokyo had the most foreign residents of any prefecture, with 824,486, followed by Osaka, Aichi, Kanagawa, and Saitama ^[2].

Separately, the agency reported that the number of people unlawfully overstaying their visas as of July 1, 2026 stood at 65,229, down 3,259 people, or 4.8%, from January 1, 2026 ^[1]. Thailand became the largest source nationality for overstayers at 10,260, overtaking Vietnam, which fell to 10,135; Sri Lanka was the only top-ten nationality to see an increase ^[1]. By visa status, those who had overstayed a Short-Term Stay visa remained the largest group at 39,180, though this number fell, while Specified Activities and Student status overstayers increased ^[1]. The agency also reported 6,020 newly identified overstayers since January 1, 2026, most commonly from Vietnam and under Short-Term Stay status ^[1].

On entries and exits, the agency said 21,447,220 foreign nationals entered Japan in the first half of 2026, a slight increase from the same period last year, though new entrants specifically fell by 21,452 to 19,706,953 ^[3]. South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States were the top nationalities for new entrants ^[3]. Special landing permissions, including for cruise ship tourism, fell sharply by 32.2%, driven largely by a drop in ship-based tourist landings ^[3]. Japanese nationals departing the country numbered 6,944,615, up 5.1% from a year earlier ^[3]. Readers seeking details on their own residency category or status should consult the agency's full published data.

Source credit 出典：「本邦における不法残留者数について（令和８年７月１日現在）」（出入国在留管理庁）（https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/press/13_00071.html）、PDL1.0（https://www.digital.go.jp/resources/open_data/public_data_license_v1.0）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 出典：「令和８年６月末における在留外国人数について」（出入国在留管理庁）（https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/press/13_00070.html）、PDL1.0（https://www.digital.go.jp/resources/open_data/public_data_license_v1.0）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 出典：「令和８年上半期における外国人入国者数及び日本人出国者数等について」（出入国在留管理庁）（https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/press/13_00069.html）、PDL1.0（https://www.digital.go.jp/resources/open_data/public_data_license_v1.0）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 This article is Japan News's own English summary of the Japanese original. It has been translated and edited by Japan News; it is not an official translation, and the Immigration Services Agency did not write or review it.