TOKYO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Seniors aged 65 and older are estimated to make up 29.4 percent of Japan's total population, the highest proportion on record, official data showed Sunday.

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications estimated the elderly population at 36.19 million as of Sept. 15, the country's Respect-for-the-Aged Day.

Men accounted for 15.68 million and women 20.51 million, with women outnumbering men by 4.83 million, according to the ministry forecast.

By the estimates, the share of seniors in the total population would rise by 0.1 percentage point to a record 29.4 percent.

According to the ministry's labor force survey, 9.3 million seniors were employed last year, an increase of 160,000 from the previous year, also a record high.

The employment rate among those aged 65 and older rose to 25.7 percent, up 0.5 percentage points.

By age group, employment stood at 53.6 percent for those 65-69, 35.1 percent for those 70-74, and 12.0 percent for those 75 and older.

The ministry attributed the trend to labor shortages and extended retirement ages, noting that opportunities for older people to remain active are expanding and that the number of working seniors is expected to continue increasing. ■