Main contents start here
Summary of Results of Internal Migration in 2008
Released on April 24, 2009
is "Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan" (external site) where you can browse statistics tables and database.
The number of inter-prefectural migrants decreased for 13 straight years
- The number of Japanese internal migrants was 5,356,935 persons and the rate of migration was 4.25%, a decrease for 5 straight years.
- The number of Japanese inter-prefectural migrants was 2,508,533 persons and the rate of migration was 1.99%, a decrease for 13 straight years. This was the first decrease to a 1 % level rate of migration since 1954 when the compilation of statistics on internal migration began.
- The number of Japanese intra-prefectural migrants was 2,848,402 persons and the rate of migration was 2.26%, a decrease for 5 straight years.
The number of plus net-migration for Tokyo-to decreased by over 10,000 persons
- Regarding the net-migration for prefectures, 6 prefectures had plus net-migration: Tokyo-to (83,000 persons), Kanagawa-ken (29,646 persons), Chiba-ken (24,178 persons), and so on. Compared with the previous year, the number of plus net-migrations for Tokyo-to decreased for the first time in 5 years since 2003. The decrease exceeded 10,000 persons for the first time in 15 years since 1993. On the other hand, 41 prefectures had minus net-migration: Hokkaido (21,129 persons), Aomori-ken (9,266 persons), Nagasaki-ken (8,799 persons), and so on.
- The differential between Tokyo-to which had the highest plus rate of net-migration and Aomori-ken which had the lowest minus rate, was 1.49 points (Tokyo-to 0.76%, Aomori-ken -0.73%) in 2007 and 1.33 points (Tokyo-to 0.66%, Aomori-ken -0.67%) in 2008. Comparing two consecutive years, the differential among the prefectures narrowed.
The net-migration for 3 major metropolitan areas showed a large plus for 13 straight years
- The net-migration for 3 major metropolitan areas (Tokyo Area, Nagoya Area and Osaka Area) had a net migration of plus 154,078 persons for 13 straight years.
- The Tokyo Area had a net migration of plus 151,696 persons of net-migration. The rate of net-migration was 0.44%, exceeding 0.4% in the previous year. Among the 4 prefectures in the Tokyo Area, the number of plus net-migrations decreased in Tokyo-to and Kanagawa-ken, and increased in Saitama-ken and Chiba-ken, compared with the previous year.
- The Nagoya Area had a net migration of plus 13,525 persons. The rate of net-migration was 0.12%. The rate changed from minus to plus in 2003, and had been increasing from 2003 to 2006, but changed to decreasing in 2007. Among the 3 prefectures in the Nagoya Area, the number of plus net-migrations decreased in Aichi-ken, whereas minus net-migration increased in Gifu-ken and net-migration in Mie-ken changed to minus, compared with the previous year.
- The Osaka Area had a net migration of minus 11,143 persons. The rate of net-migration was 0.06%. Compared with the previous year, the rate had been decreasing from 2003 to 2008, except for 2007. Among all 4 prefectures in the Osaka Area, the number of minus net-migrations decreased, compared with the previous year.
