Japan's population has fallen for the sixth consecutive year, though a rise in the number of foreign residents has slowed the pace of decline.

The population stood at 126.93 million as of Oct. 1, down 162,000 from a year earlier.

The number of Japanese declined by a record 299,000 to 125.02 million, but was cushioned by a jump in foreign residents, which rose by a record 136,000, data released Friday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications show.