Japan’s National Police Agency says a total of 84,910 people were reported missing in Japan in 2022 alone.
The figure saw an increase of 5,692 from the previous year, according to the agency.
By age group, cases of missing people in their 20s saw the highest number, with those in their teens and 20s accounting for approximately 40 per cent of all missing persons, the agency said in its report issued on Thursday.
During the period, 18,709 people in the country with dementia or suspected of having the disorder were reported missing, according to the report.
Since comparable statistics became available in 2012, the number of reported cases of such missing has kept increasing over the years, according to the agency, adding that the figure has almost doubled in a decade.
Many of those people were reported missing after they had wandered aimlessly due to dementia.
Local governments are asking family members of people with dementia or suspected of having dementia to have them carry GPS devices, or to attach on their clothing small patches with QR codes printed with contact information, local media reported.
(Xinhua/NAN)
