Japan vs South Korea: Share of births outside marriage
Japan
2.4
in 2023
South Korea
4.72
in 2024
Japan rank
43rd
South Korea rank
41st
Share of births outside marriage over time
- Japan
- South Korea
How they compare
South Korea currently reports 4.72 against 2.4 in Japan, a difference of 2.32.
That makes South Korea's figure about 2.0 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 27 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Korea ahead.
Japan ranks 43rd and South Korea ranks 41st of 43 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and South Korea in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | South Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1 | 1.03 | 0.032 | South Korea |
| 1990s | 1.15 | 1.09 | 0.0614 | Japan |
| 2000s | 1.94 | 1.62 | 0.3162 | Japan |
| 2010s | 2.24 | 2.06 | 0.182 | Japan |
| 2020s | 2.35 | 3.07 | 0.7216 | South Korea |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of births outside marriage, Japan or South Korea?
- South Korea, at 4.72 against 2.4 in Japan as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of births outside marriage between Japan and South Korea?
- 2.32, with South Korea ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and South Korea?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2023.
- How do Japan and South Korea rank globally for share of births outside marriage?
- Japan ranks 43rd and South Korea ranks 41st of 43 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Share of births outside marriage. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.