Period total fertility rate in Japan
Japan: Period total fertility rate was 1.14 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Period total fertility rate in Japan, 1947–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, period total fertility rate in Japan stood at 1.14. That is the lowest value across all 78 years on record.
The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 18.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, period total fertility rate in Japan peaked at 4.61 in 1947 and was at its lowest, 1.14, in 2024.
Japan ranks 31st of 34 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 78 years of available data.
Period total fertility rate in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 4.61 | — |
| 1948 | 4.46 | -3.3% |
| 1949 | 4.37 | -2.0% |
| 1950 | 3.69 | -15.6% |
| 1951 | 3.3 | -10.6% |
| 1952 | 3.02 | -8.5% |
| 1953 | 2.74 | -9.3% |
| 1954 | 2.53 | -7.7% |
| 1955 | 2.4 | -4.8% |
| 1956 | 2.26 | -6.1% |
| 1957 | 2.08 | -8.0% |
| 1958 | 2.15 | +3.5% |
| 1959 | 2.08 | -3.3% |
| 1960 | 2.02 | -2.7% |
| 1961 | 1.98 | -2.3% |
| 1962 | 1.99 | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 2.01 | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 2.06 | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 2.15 | +4.9% |
| 1966 | 1.59 | -26.3% |
| 1967 | 2.24 | +40.8% |
| 1968 | 2.14 | -4.3% |
| 1969 | 2.13 | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 2.14 | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 2.17 | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 2.15 | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 2.15 | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 2.05 | -4.5% |
| 1975 | 1.91 | -7.0% |
| 1976 | 1.85 | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 1.79 | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 1.78 | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 1.75 | -1.3% |
| 1980 | 1.73 | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 1.73 | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 1.76 | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 1.79 | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 1.8 | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.76 | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 1.72 | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 1.69 | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 1.66 | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 1.58 | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 1.54 | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 1.54 | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 1.51 | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 1.47 | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 1.51 | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 1.43 | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 1.43 | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 1.39 | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 1.39 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 1.35 | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 1.36 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 1.34 | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 1.32 | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 1.3 | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.29 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.26 | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 1.31 | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 1.33 | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 1.35 | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 1.35 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.38 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 1.38 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 1.39 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 1.41 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 1.41 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 1.44 | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 1.43 | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 1.41 | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 1.4 | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.34 | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 1.32 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 1.3 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 1.25 | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 1.2 | -4.4% |
| 2024 | 1.14 | -4.5% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1.14 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.47, 78% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Period total fertility rate 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +40.8% | 1.59 | 2.24 |
| 1966 | -26.3% | 2.15 | 1.59 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 4.48 | 4.37 | 4.61 | 3 |
| 1950s | 2.62 | 2.08 | 3.69 | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.03 | 1.59 | 2.24 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.98 | 1.75 | 2.17 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.72 | 1.58 | 1.8 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.46 | 1.35 | 1.54 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.32 | 1.26 | 1.36 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4 | 1.34 | 1.44 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.24 | 1.14 | 1.32 | 5 |
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)
- 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 period total fertility rate in Japan?
- Period total fertility rate in Japan was 1.14 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest period total fertility rate recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 4.61 in 1947.
- What is the lowest period total fertility rate recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.14 in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for period total fertility rate?
- Japan ranks 31st out of 34 countries with data for 2024.
- Is period total fertility rate rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Period total fertility rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 78 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).