Demographics
As of October 2004, Yamagata Prefecture had a population of 1,223,000 . This represented a 5.3% decrease on the previous year, giving Yamagata the equal-fourth highest depopulation rate in Japan . This figure consists of a 2.2% natural decrease in the population, and a net 3.1% emigration to other prefectures, again one of the highest rates in Japan.
The prefecture also has one of the oldest populations in Japan. As of 2004, 12.8% of the population was aged between 65 and 74, and 12.1% was over 75 (the fourth and third highest in Japan, respectively) . Over 40% of households in Yamagata contain one or more relatives aged 65 or over (one of the three highest in Japan) .
Read more about this topic: Yamagata Prefecture