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
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.
Annual change in population in Japan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 1.41 million people | — |
| 1952 | 1.29 million people | -8.6% |
| 1953 | 1.19 million people | -7.5% |
| 1954 | 1.08 million people | -8.9% |
| 1955 | 1.02 million people | -6.1% |
| 1956 | 916,529 people | -9.9% |
| 1957 | 766,975 people | -16.3% |
| 1958 | 737,978 people | -3.8% |
| 1959 | 776,015 people | +5.2% |
| 1960 | 776,782 people | +0.1% |
| 1961 | 817,839 people | +5.3% |
| 1962 | 858,811 people | +5.0% |
| 1963 | 881,825 people | +2.7% |
| 1964 | 931,945 people | +5.7% |
| 1965 | 1.03 million people | +10.1% |
| 1966 | 971,815 people | -5.3% |
| 1967 | 1.08 million people | +10.9% |
| 1968 | 1.27 million people | +18.0% |
| 1969 | 1.24 million people | -2.7% |
| 1970 | 1.24 million people | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 1.24 million people | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 1.29 million people | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 1.38 million people | +6.9% |
| 1974 | 1.39 million people | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 1.31 million people | -6.0% |
| 1976 | 1.18 million people | -9.9% |
| 1977 | 1.07 million people | -9.3% |
| 1978 | 1.00 million people | -6.4% |
| 1979 | 944,621 people | -5.8% |
| 1980 | 837,200 people | -11.4% |
| 1981 | 635,293 people | -24.1% |
| 1982 | 491,721 people | -22.6% |
| 1983 | 463,168 people | -5.8% |
| 1984 | 435,452 people | -6.0% |
| 1985 | 447,763 people | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 534,575 people | +19.4% |
| 1987 | 576,855 people | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 533,369 people | -7.5% |
| 1989 | 470,454 people | -11.8% |
| 1990 | 452,356 people | -3.8% |
| 1991 | 490,103 people | +8.3% |
| 1992 | 493,837 people | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 456,248 people | -7.6% |
| 1994 | 446,906 people | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 385,798 people | -13.7% |
| 1996 | 302,645 people | -21.6% |
| 1997 | 290,622 people | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 283,256 people | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 252,384 people | -10.9% |
| 2000 | 226,228 people | -10.4% |
| 2001 | 232,350 people | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 224,455 people | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 186,655 people | -16.8% |
| 2004 | 144,515 people | -22.6% |
| 2005 | 97,562 people | -32.5% |
| 2006 | 83,916 people | -14.0% |
| 2007 | 90,436 people | +7.8% |
| 2008 | 68,309 people | -24.5% |
| 2009 | 36,479 people | -46.6% |
| 2010 | -7,198 people | -119.7% |
| 2011 | -88,843 people | +1134.3% |
| 2012 | -168,147 people | +89.3% |
| 2013 | -204,641 people | +21.7% |
| 2014 | -237,041 people | +15.8% |
| 2015 | -210,733 people | -11.1% |
| 2016 | -115,918 people | -45.0% |
| 2017 | -95,264 people | -17.8% |
| 2018 | -151,254 people | +58.8% |
| 2019 | -214,011 people | +41.5% |
| 2020 | -394,888 people | +84.5% |
| 2021 | -625,191 people | +58.3% |
| 2022 | -681,757 people | +9.0% |
| 2023 | -626,638 people | -8.1% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's -626,638 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 3,163 people. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's -626,638 people is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3,585 people. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual change in population in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | -1134.3% | -7,198 people | -88,843 people |
| 2010 | -119.7% | 36,479 people | -7,198 people |
| 2012 | -89.3% | -88,843 people | -168,147 people |
| 2020 | -84.5% | -214,011 people | -394,888 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More population data for Japan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 103,784 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.5891 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2372 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 210.83 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.83 million people (2100)
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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 73 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual change in population, calculated as the difference between population on 1 July of consecutive years.