Just 17% of Japanese citizens hold passport: Reasons here

Only around 1 in 6 Japanese citizens hold valid passports, according to the latest data. There’re 21.6 million passports in circulation as of December 2024, representing around 17.5% of the country’s population, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The number of Japanese citizens travelling abroad has picked up pace but is still much less than the numbers seen before the pandemic. Before the health crisis, about a quarter of Japanese people held valid passports.

The Japanese passport and neighbouring South Korea’s passport are tied at the second strongest position after Singapore, facilitating seamless entry to 190 destinations across the globe, according to the latest Henley Passport Index findings.

In recent years, the rapid depreciation of the currency (yen) has caused some people in Japan to refrain from travelling abroad. But once the currency market stabilises, experts are expecting the trend to pick up steam. Keep an eye out for more details.