Fertility rate, total in Japan
Japan: Fertility rate, total was 1.2 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate, total in Japan, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
The most recent figure for fertility rate, total in Japan is 1.2 births per woman, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and down 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Japan peaked at 2.16 births per woman in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.2 births per woman, in 2023.
That places Japan 197th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 54 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.97 births per woman | 1.77 births per woman | 2.16 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.73 births per woman | 1.57 births per woman | 1.81 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.45 births per woman | 1.34 births per woman | 1.54 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.32 births per woman | 1.26 births per woman | 1.37 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.41 births per woman | 1.36 births per woman | 1.45 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.27 births per woman | 1.2 births per woman | 1.33 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More population data for Japan
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.501 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.83 million (2100)
- Population density 210.83 (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.501 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2372 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.5891 Percent per annum (2030)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 103,784 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates -0.5888 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.15 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 29,068 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Japan?
- Fertility rate, total in Japan was 1.2 births per woman in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.16 births per woman in 1971.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for fertility rate, total?
- Japan ranks 197th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release