Japan's population under its resident registry network system fell 266,004, or 0.21 pct, from a year before to 126,393,679, excluding foreign residents, as of the end of March 2013, down for the fourth straight year, the internal affairs ministry said Wednesday.
The drop renewed the previous year's record decline of 263,727.
The natural population decline, or the number of deaths over that of births, stood at a record high of 226,118.
The country's total population came to 128,373,879, including 1,980,200 foreign residents who became newly subject to the registration system following a reform of the system in July 2012.
Source: JiJi Press
