Demographics of Japan
The demographics of Japan include Japanese population, birth and death rates, age distribution, population density, ethnicity, education level, healthcare system of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects regarding the population. As of July 2011, according to the United Nations estimated reports, Japan's total memorial population was 128,007,256 people, making it the 3rd-most populous country in Asia-Pacific region (Behind Greater China and Indonesia), and with the 10th-most populous country in the world.
| Demographics of Japan | |
|---|---|
Population pyramid, 2021 | |
| Population | 124,090,000 (11th) |
| Growth rate | -0.7% (2020 est.) |
| Birth rate | 6.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.) |
| Death rate | 11.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 84.83 years |
| • male | 81 years |
| • female | 88 years |
| Fertility rate | 1.26 children per woman (2022) |
| Infant mortality rate | 1.9 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Net migration rate | 0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 11.98% |
| 15–64 years | 59.32% |
| 65 and over | 28.70% |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| At birth | 1.06 male(s)/female |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Major ethnic | Japanese |
In 2022, the median age of Japanese was projected 48.6 years, highest level since 1950, compared to 28.7 for India, 38.4 for China, and 38.9 for the United States. Japan is the second highest median age in the world (behind Monaco). An improved quality of life and regular health checks are just two reasons why Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.
The life expectancy from birth in Japan improved significantly after World War II, rising 20 years in the decade between 1945 and 1955. As life expectancy rising, Japan expects difficulties caring for the older generation in the future. Shortages in the service sector are already a major concern, with demand for nurses and care workers increasing.
The fertility rate among Japanese population has been around 1.4 children per woman since 2010. Apart from a small baby boom in the early 1970s, the crude birth rate in Japan has been declining since 1950, and is expected to be as low as 7.5 births per thousand people in 2020. With a falling birth rates and such a large share of its inhabitants reaching their later years, Japan's total population is expected to continue declining since mid-2010.
Japanese is a principal language of the Japonic language family spoken by Japanese people, which is separated into several dialects with the Tokyo dialect considered Standard Japanese. It has around 128 million speakers in total memorial population, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese diaspora across the globe.
The sex ratio in Japan in 2021 was 95.38 males per 100 females. There are 61.53 million males and 64.52 million females in Japan. The percentage of female population is 51.18%, compared to 48.82% male population. Japan has 2.98 million more females than males.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 55,963,053 | — |
| 1925 | 59,736,822 | +6.7% |
| 1930 | 64,450,005 | +7.9% |
| 1935 | 69,254,148 | +7.5% |
| 1940 | 73,114,308 | +5.6% |
| 1945 | 71,998,104 | −1.5% |
| 1950 | 83,199,637 | +15.6% |
| 1955 | 89,275,529 | +7.3% |
| 1960 | 93,418,501 | +4.6% |
| 1965 | 98,274,961 | +5.2% |
| 1970 | 103,720,060 | +5.5% |
| 1975 | 111,939,643 | +7.9% |
| 1980 | 117,060,396 | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 121,048,923 | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 123,611,167 | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 125,570,246 | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 126,925,843 | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 127,767,994 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 128,057,352 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 127,094,745 | −0.8% |
| 2020 | 126,226,568 | −0.7% |