Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Japan
Japan: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) was 84.04 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
84.04 years
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
7th
of 215 countries
All-time high
84.56 years
in 2020
All-time low
71.92 years
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Life expectancy at birth, total in Japan, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Japan is 84.04 years, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Japan peaked at 84.56 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 71.92 years, in 1970.
That places Japan 7th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (expectancy UNESCO Institute) in Japan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 71.92 years | — |
| 1971 | 72.81 years | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 73.15 years | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 73.3 years | +0.2% |
| 1974 | 73.67 years | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 74.25 years | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 74.69 years | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 75.26 years | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 75.58 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 76.11 years | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 75.99 years | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 76.39 years | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 76.87 years | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 76.92 years | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 77.29 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 77.56 years | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 78.01 years | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 78.43 years | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 78.35 years | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 78.77 years | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 78.84 years | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 79.04 years | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 79.08 years | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 79.3 years | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 79.7 years | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 79.54 years | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 80.22 years | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 80.42 years | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 80.5 years | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 80.46 years | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 81.08 years | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 81.42 years | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 81.69 years | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 81.76 years | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 82.03 years | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 81.96 years | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 82.32 years | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 82.51 years | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 82.59 years | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 82.93 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 82.84 years | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 82.59 years | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 83.1 years | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 83.33 years | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 83.59 years | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 83.79 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 83.98 years | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 84.1 years | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 84.21 years | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 84.36 years | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 84.56 years | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 84.45 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 84 years | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 84.04 years | +0.1% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 84.04 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81.17 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 84.04 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 72.85 years, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 74.07 years | 71.92 years | 76.11 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.46 years | 75.99 years | 78.77 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 79.71 years | 78.84 years | 80.5 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.03 years | 81.08 years | 82.93 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.59 years | 82.59 years | 84.36 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.26 years | 84 years | 84.56 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 4 Liechtenstein 84.84 years compare
- 5 French Polynesia 84.07 years compare
- 6 Switzerland 84.06 years compare
- 8 Andorra 84.04 years compare
- 9 Spain 83.88 years compare
- 10 Italy 83.7 years compare
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)
- Population growth rate -0.501 (2100)
- Population density 210.83 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.83 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Japan?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Japan was 84.04 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 84.56 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.92 years in 1970.
- How does Japan rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Japan ranks 7th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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