Annual change in population in Japan

Japan: Annual change in population was -626,638 people in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
-626,638 people
Change on year
up 8.1%
World rank
234th
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.41 million people
in 1951
All-time low
-681,757 people
in 2022
Years of data
73
1951–2023

Annual change in population in Japan, 1951–2023

-500.0k0500.0k1.0M1.5M195119872023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2023, annual change in population in Japan stood at -626,638 people.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.1% on the previous year and down 206.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual change in population in Japan peaked at 1.41 million people in 1951 and was at its lowest, -681,757 people, in 2022.

That places Japan 234th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 1.02 million people 737,978 people 1.41 million people 9
1960s 985,220 people 776,782 people 1.27 million people 10
1970s 1.20 million people 944,621 people 1.39 million people 10
1980s 542,585 people 435,452 people 837,200 people 10
1990s 385,416 people 252,384 people 493,837 people 10
2000s 139,090 people 36,479 people 232,350 people 10
2010s -149,305 people -237,041 people -7,198 people 10
2020s -582,118 people -681,757 people -394,888 people 4

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 231 Italy -119,654 people compare
  2. 232 Russia -139,387 people compare
  3. 233 Greece -169,571 people compare
  4. 235 China -2.59 million people compare
  5. 236 Ukraine -3.32 million people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual change in population in Japan?
Annual change in population in Japan was -626,638 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual change in population recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 1.41 million people in 1951.
What is the lowest annual change in population recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was -681,757 people in 2022.
How does Japan rank for annual change in population?
Japan ranks 234th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is annual change in population rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 206.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual change in population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Annual change in population
Unit
people
Source
UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,228 data points, 1951–2023
Last refreshed

Annual change in population, calculated as the difference between population on 1 July of consecutive years.