Over 76,000 people died alone in Japan in 2024

Tokyo, April 11 (IANS) A total of 76,020 people died alone in their homes in Japan in 2024, with 76.4 per cent aged 65 or older, according to data released by the National Police Agency on Friday.

By age group, the highest number of solitary home deaths occurred among those aged 85 and older (14,658), followed by those aged 75-79 (12,567), and those aged 70-74 (11,600).

Among elderly individuals found dead at home, 39.2 per cent were discovered within a day of death. However, 4,538 cases (7.8 per cent) involved bodies that went undiscovered for over a month.

Police officials noted that many such cases were identified after reports of uncollected mail or when neighbours or relatives, lacking regular contact, raised concerns.

By region, Tokyo recorded the highest number of solitary home deaths (7,699), followed by Osaka (5,329), Kanagawa (3,659), and Aichi (3,411).

This marks the first time such data has been compiled in Japan. The government plans to use it as a basis for policy development to address loneliness and social isolation.

Japan has been grappling with the issue of 'kodokushi' or "lonely death" for decades. The term refers to people, often elderly, who die alone and go unnoticed for extended periods.

The phenomenon first gained public attention in the 1980s and has since become a growing concern amid Japan's rapidly aging population, shrinking household sizes, and weakening social ties.

According to a data released by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of welfare applications in Japan reached 22,320 in November 2024, marking a 1.6 per cent increase from the same month the previous year and the highest for November in the past decade.

The ministry attributed the rise in applications to factors such as an increase in single-person households and an aging population.

As of November 2024, the total number of welfare-recipient households stood at 1,651,995, a slight decrease of 0.1 per cent compared to the same month in 2023.

--IANS

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