The Okinawa Prefecture Department of Planning finished Friday the summary of population and number of households in the prefecture by the municipality based on the census of 2015.

According to numbers, the population of Okinawa as of Oct. 1, 2015, totaled 1,433,566 that is an increase of 40,748 from the last census five years ago. The increase rate of the population was 2.9% that is the highest in Japan. The rate increased from 2.3% before, but the growth is slowing.

By age, there are 278,337 persons who are over 65 years old, which represents 19.6% or one fifth of the total. That is an increase of 2.2 points from the previous census. 247,206 of the residents are under 15 years of age that is 17.4% of the total and shows a decrease of 0.4 points, but even that is the lowest rate in Japan. The number of people over 65 exceeded the number of people under 15 for the first time since the survey was started.

By municipality, the population increased in 24 municipalities out of 41, while it decreased in 17. Yonabaru Town saw the highest rate of increase at 12.8%, and Yonaguni Town had the second highest rate of 11.2%, followed by Nakagusuku Village with 10.0% increase.

The population of Aguni Village shrank most, as the number of people there decreased 12.1%, and Iheya Village was the second with 10.6% loss. Ie Village was the third where 10.1% less people live now. The population is concentrating in the middle and the southern part of the main island, and decreasing on remote islands around the main island, as well as in the Miyako area.

11,020 foreigners live on Okinawa not including the people in the U.S. military and SOFA civilians. That is 3,369 more than five years ago and a 44% increase.

The number of households totaled 560,424, and an average household within the prefecture included 2.56 persons that is a decrease from 2.68. Nuclear families comprised 327,514 or 58.7% of all the private households.

• 
• NO DATA