TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The number of foreign nationals residing in Japan reached a record high of over 3.5 million in the first of 2024, government data showed Friday, as the country grapples with a labor shortage amid an aging society and declining birthrate.

According to the Immigration Services Agency, 3,588,956 foreign nationals resided in Japan as of the end of June, up 177,964 from the end of 2023, with the number of specified skilled workers surging 20.8 percent to 251,747.

The visa for such workers was introduced in 2019, allowing them to take on jobs in designated industries without requiring training. The number of trainees under Japan's technical internship program grew by 5.2 percent to 425,714.

Meanwhile, permanent residents, who made up the largest group by residential status, stood at 902,203, up 1.2 percent. The number of foreign arrivals, including tourists, rose to 17,820,629 in the first half of 2024.