The number of Japanese people living in the country has fallen below 120 million for the first time in 42 years, government data showed Wednesday, as the nation confronts a low birth rate and an ageing society.

As of 1 January, the population of Japanese residents in Japan stood at 119.74 million, down 0.76 per cent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The population of Japanese residents has been declining for 17 consecutive years since peaking in 2009, according to the survey, which began in 1968.