Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Japanese passport issues in 2016 were up 15.18% year on year to 3,894,640, marking year-on-year growths for two years in a row. As of December 31 2016, valid passports reached 30,103,171, which accounted for one-fourth of the entire population.
Out of the total, general passport issues were 3,862,783, out of which 3,738,380 passports were issued in Japan (+15%). The ministry analyzed that the growth resulted from the fact that Japanese overseas travelers increased by 5.6% year on year in 2016.
It is demographically noteworthy that the ratio of passport issues to 30 years old or younger reached 43%. Also the ratio of those to females was 51.8%, particularly 56.9% for 20’s females. The ratio of males was higher than that of females in between 30 to 59 years old, but the ratio was reverse in 60’s or higher.
By prefecture, passport issues in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba accounted for 39.5% of the total. By month, the most passports were issued in August with 393,040.
Lost or stolen passports were up 3.7% to 39,812 (reported), and those in Japan particularly increased by 4.6%. Abused Japanese passports in foreign countries or regions were 37 passports in 34 cases, 20 fewer passports or five fewer cases than a year earlier.
