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Country profile

Afghan nationals in Japan

Total residents (2025)
6,887
Total Population of Afghanistan: ~42 million
Growth (past 10 years)
+161.0%
2,639 in 2015 → 6,887 in 2025

Top visa types (2025)

Family stay
2,787
Engineer / Humanities
1,812
Long-term resident
834
Business manager
489
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The Average Afghan Migrant

Male profile

The average Afghan male in Japan is an engineering or international-services professional in his late twenties, living in Chiba.

Modal age25–29
Top visaEngineer / Humanities (39.4%)
2nd visaFamily stay (26.6%)
Population4,545 (66.0%)
Female profile

The average Afghan female in Japan is a dependent family member in her 5-9, living in Chiba.

Modal age5–9
Top visaFamily stay (67.3%)
2nd visaLong-term resident (16.0%)
Population2,342 (34.0%)

Population over time

Total Afghan residents

Annual figures, 2006–2025 — hover the line for details
02,0004,0006,0008,00020062010201520202025
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2024
Permanent resident Engineer / Humanities Spouse of Japanese Instructor Student Others

Visa Types

What do these visa types mean? →

Status of residence (2025)

Current snapshot
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent: 2,787 2,787 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 1,812 1,812 Long-term resident Long-term resident: 834 834 Business manager Business manager: 489 489 Designated activities Designated activities: 446 446 Permanent resident Permanent resident: 322 322 Student Student: 63 63 Spouse of PR Spouse of PR: 49 49 Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese: 35 35 Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee: 19 19 High-skilled professional High-skilled professional: 19 19 Professor Professor: 5 5
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 Family stay / Dependent Family stay / Dependent 2015: 1,011 Family stay / Dependent 2025: 2,787 1,011 2,787 (2025) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2015: 667 Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services 2025: 1,812 667 1,812 (2025) Long-term resident Long-term resident 2015: 65 Long-term resident 2025: 834 65 834 (2025) Business manager Business manager 2015: 228 Business manager 2025: 489 228 489 (2025) Designated activities Designated activities 2015: 23 Designated activities 2025: 446 23 446 (2025) Permanent resident Permanent resident 2015: 187 Permanent resident 2025: 322 187 322 (2025) Student Student 2015: 378 378 63 (2025) Spouse of PR Spouse of PR 2015: 14 Spouse of PR 2025: 49 14 49 (2025) Spouse of Japanese Spouse of Japanese 2015: 18 Spouse of Japanese 2025: 35 18 35 (2025) Intra-company transferee Intra-company transferee 2015: 37 37 19 (2025)
Where Afghanistan is heavier than rest of world Where Afghanistan is lighter (or absent) Family stay / Dependent Afghan: 40.5% 40.5% Rest of world: 8.5% 8.5% Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services Afghan: 26.3% 26.3% Rest of world: 11.5% 11.5% Long-term resident Afghan: 12.1% 12.1% Rest of world: 5.5% 5.5% Business manager Afghan: 7.1% 7.1% Rest of world: 1.1% 1.1% Designated activities Afghan: 6.5% 6.5% Rest of world: 3.0% 3.0% Permanent resident Afghan: 4.7% 4.7% Rest of world: 23.0% 23.0% Student Afghan: 0.9% 0.9% Rest of world: 11.3% 11.3% Spouse of Japanese Afghan: 0.5% 0.5% Rest of world: 3.7% 3.7% Skilled labour Afghan: 0.0% 0.0% Rest of world: 1.3% 1.3% Spouse of PR Afghan: 0.7% 0.7% Rest of world: 1.4% 1.4% High-skilled professional Afghan: 0.3% 0.3% Rest of world: 0.8% 0.8% Instructor Afghan: 0.0% 0.0% Rest of world: 0.4% 0.4% Intra-company transferee Afghan: 0.3% 0.3% Rest of world: 0.5% 0.5%

Demographics

Age distribution

All Afghan residents — five-year age brackets, December 2025
0 200 400 600 800 0–4: 589 589 0–4 5–9: 701 701 5–9 10–14: 688 688 10–14 15–19: 567 567 15–19 20–24: 672 672 20–24 25–29: 737 737 25–29 30–34: 729 729 30–34 35–39: 727 727 35–39 40–44: 516 516 40–44 45–49: 428 428 45–49 50–54: 277 277 50–54 55–59: 128 128 55–59 60–64: 53 53 60–64 65–69: 30 30 65–69 70–74: 23 23 70–74 75–79: 15 15 75–79 80+: 7 7 80+
MALE 男性 FEMALE 女性 0–4 315 274 5–9 366 335 10–14 400 288 15–19 327 240 20–24 469 203 25–29 542 195 30–34 474 255 35–39 532 195 40–44 398 118 45–49 321 107 50–54 221 56 55–59 96 32 60–64 35 18 65–69 19 11 70–74 16 7 75–79 10 5 80+ 4 3

Gender split

December 2025
Male: 4,545 (66.0%) Female: 2,342 (34.0%) 6,887 total
Male
4,545 (66.0%)
Female
2,342 (34.0%)

The Afghan community leans male (66%), but its largest visa is Family Stay (40%) — whole families settling together, alongside engineers (26%) and long-term residents.

Family stay / Dependent: 1,576 (67.3%) Long-term resident: 375 (16.0%) Designated activities: 169 (7.2%) Permanent resident: 130 (5.6%) Spouse of PR: 35 (1.5%) Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 22 (0.9%) Student: 16 (0.7%) Spouse of Japanese: 10 (0.4%) Business manager: 7 (0.3%) Professor: 1 (0.0%) Instructor: 1 (0.0%) Total female 2,342
2,342 female Afghan residents — by status of residence
Family stay / Dependent1,576
Long-term resident375
Designated activities169
Permanent resident130
Spouse of PR35
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services22
Student16
Spouse of Japanese10
Business manager7
Professor1
Instructor1
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services: 1,790 (39.4%) Family stay / Dependent: 1,211 (26.6%) Business manager: 482 (10.6%) Long-term resident: 459 (10.1%) Designated activities: 277 (6.1%) Permanent resident: 192 (4.2%) Student: 47 (1.0%) Spouse of Japanese: 25 (0.6%) Intra-company transferee: 19 (0.4%) High-skilled professional: 19 (0.4%) Spouse of PR: 14 (0.3%) Professor: 4 (0.1%) Cultural activities: 3 (0.1%) Other: 3 (0.1%) Total male 4,545
4,545 male Afghan residents — by status of residence
Engineer / Humanities / Int'l services1,790
Family stay / Dependent1,211
Business manager482
Long-term resident459
Designated activities277
Permanent resident192
Student47
Spouse of Japanese25
Intra-company transferee19
High-skilled professional19
Spouse of PR14
Professor4
Cultural activities3
Other3
0 2,000 4,000 6,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Female 2,342 Male 4,545

Where they live (2025)

By region — heat map

Hover or tap a region to see its breakdown.
Hokkaido Hokkaido 723 723 Tohoku Tohoku 518 518 Kanto Kanto 2,621 2,621 Chubu Chubu 1,926 1,926 Kansai Kansai 3,189 3,189 Chugoku Chugoku 487 487 Shikoku Shikoku 245 245 Kyushu Kyushu 1,158 1,158
Fewer
More
Selected region
Kanto
11,830
57.6% of Japan total
Top Visa Categories
Prefectures
Tokyo
7,596
Kanagawa
1,948
Chiba
1,018
Saitama
763
Ibaraki
231
Tochigi
138
Gunma
136

Highest and Lowest Prefectures

2025 Resident Counts
Top 10
Chiba
Kanto
2,995
Ibaraki
Kanto
664
Aichi
Chubu
407
Fukuoka
Kyushu
295
Saitama
Kanto
289
Tokyo
Kanto
220
Tochigi
Kanto
190
Miyazaki
Kyushu
186
Hokkaido
Hokkaido
165
Osaka
Kansai
147
Bottom 10
Kagawa
Shikoku
1
Nagasaki
Kyushu
1
Tottori
Chugoku
1
Yamanashi
Chubu
2
Kochi
Shikoku
3
Nagano
Chubu
3
Toyama
Chubu
4
Wakayama
Kansai
7
Fukui
Chubu
8
Iwate
Tohoku
10

Prefecture Growth, 2015 to 2025

Absolute change in Afghan residents over the past decade
Largest increase
Chiba
Kanto
+2097
Ibaraki
Kanto
+469
Saitama
Kanto
+193
Aichi
Chubu
+185
Fukuoka
Kyushu
+174
Largest decrease
Shiga
Kansai
-9
Niigata
Chubu
-5
Yamaguchi
Chugoku
-4
Nagasaki
Kyushu
-3
Gunma
Kanto
-1
0 1,000 2,000 3,000 2010 2015 2020 2025 Chiba Ibaraki Aichi Fukuoka Saitama Tokyo Tochigi Miyazaki

Fun Fact

Nearly half of all Afghans in Japan live in Chiba (2,995 of 6,887) — a community built around the used-car export trade near the ports, and one that has grown tenfold since 2006.
Interested to know more about migration numbers in Japan?
Explore Overview →Immigration statistics for the whole of Japan — 4.13 million foreign residentsAll Nationalities/Regions →This page is one of 67 — explore every major community in Japan
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