Of those 37,227 Japanese people who died alone in their homes in the first half of the year, some 3,939 went unnoticed for over a month.

Almost 40,000 people died alone in their homes in Japan during the first half of 2024, a report by the country’s police shows.

Of that number, nearly 4,000 people were discovered more than a month after they died, and 130 bodies went unmissed for a year before they were found, according to the National Police Agency.

Japan currently has the world’s oldest population, according to the United Nations.

The agency hopes its report will shed light on the country’s growing issue of vast numbers of its aging population who live, and die, alone.

Taken from the first half of 2024, the National Police Agency data shows that a total of 37,227 people living alone were found dead at home, with those aged 65 and over accounting for more than 70%.

While an estimated 40% of people who died alone at home were found within a day, the police report found that nearly 3,939 bodies were discovered more than a month after death, and 130 had lain unnoticed for at least a year before discovery.

  • HanrahanEnglish
    4•3 months ago

    If they died writhing in pain over days, thats an issue, if they died in their sleep wtfs the problem, that would be my preferred way to go.

    There seems no break out of which is which,? ones a problem, ones not.

    • kamenLady.English
      5•3 months ago

      This also reveals how old the population is and how many older people live are alone. They dead people found didn’t just live alone, but obviously no one bothered to check why they went silent.

      And yes, dying in my sleep would be the perfect way to go.