Total fertility rate: births per woman in Japan
Japan: Total fertility rate: births per woman was 1.2 births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.2 births per woman
Change on year
down 4.5%
World rank
31st
of 34 countries
All-time high
4.61 births per woman
in 1947
All-time low
1.2 births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
77
1947–2023
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Japan, 1947–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
In 2023, total fertility rate: births per woman in Japan stood at 1.2 births per woman. That is the lowest value across all 77 years on record.
The figure is down 4.5% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total fertility rate: births per woman in Japan peaked at 4.61 births per woman in 1947 and was at its lowest, 1.2 births per woman, in 2023.
Japan ranks 31st of 34 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 77 years of available data.
Total fertility rate: births per woman in Japan, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 4.61 births per woman | — |
| 1948 | 4.46 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1949 | 4.37 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1950 | 3.69 births per woman | -15.6% |
| 1951 | 3.3 births per woman | -10.6% |
| 1952 | 3.02 births per woman | -8.5% |
| 1953 | 2.74 births per woman | -9.3% |
| 1954 | 2.53 births per woman | -7.7% |
| 1955 | 2.4 births per woman | -4.8% |
| 1956 | 2.26 births per woman | -6.1% |
| 1957 | 2.08 births per woman | -8.0% |
| 1958 | 2.15 births per woman | +3.5% |
| 1959 | 2.08 births per woman | -3.3% |
| 1960 | 2.02 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1961 | 1.98 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1962 | 1.99 births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 2.01 births per woman | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 2.06 births per woman | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 2.15 births per woman | +4.9% |
| 1966 | 1.59 births per woman | -26.3% |
| 1967 | 2.24 births per woman | +40.8% |
| 1968 | 2.14 births per woman | -4.3% |
| 1969 | 2.13 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1970 | 2.14 births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 2.17 births per woman | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 2.15 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1973 | 2.15 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 2.05 births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1975 | 1.91 births per woman | -7.0% |
| 1976 | 1.85 births per woman | -3.2% |
| 1977 | 1.79 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 1.78 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1979 | 1.75 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1980 | 1.73 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 1981 | 1.73 births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 1.76 births per woman | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 1.79 births per woman | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 1.8 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.76 births per woman | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 1.72 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 1.69 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 1.66 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1989 | 1.58 births per woman | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 1.54 births per woman | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 1.54 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 1.51 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 1.47 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1994 | 1.51 births per woman | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 1.43 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 1996 | 1.43 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 1.39 births per woman | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 1.39 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 1.35 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 1.36 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 1.34 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 1.32 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 1.3 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.29 births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.26 births per woman | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 1.31 births per woman | +4.3% |
| 2007 | 1.33 births per woman | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 1.35 births per woman | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 1.35 births per woman | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.38 births per woman | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 1.38 births per woman | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 1.39 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 1.41 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 1.41 births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 1.44 births per woman | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 1.43 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 1.41 births per woman | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 1.4 births per woman | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.34 births per woman | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 1.32 births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 1.3 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 1.25 births per woman | -3.5% |
| 2023 | 1.2 births per woman | -4.5% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1.2 births per woman is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.48 births per woman, 81% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total fertility rate: births per woman 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 births per woman | 2.24 births per woman |
| 1966 | -26.3% | 2.15 births per woman | 1.59 births per woman |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 4.48 births per woman | 4.37 births per woman | 4.61 births per woman | 3 |
| 1950s | 2.62 births per woman | 2.08 births per woman | 3.69 births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.03 births per woman | 1.59 births per woman | 2.24 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.98 births per woman | 1.75 births per woman | 2.17 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.72 births per woman | 1.58 births per woman | 1.8 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.46 births per woman | 1.35 births per woman | 1.54 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.32 births per woman | 1.26 births per woman | 1.36 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4 births per woman | 1.34 births per woman | 1.44 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.27 births per woman | 1.2 births per woman | 1.32 births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More population data for Japan
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.5% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.83 million people (2100)
- Population density 210.83 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total fertility rate: births per woman in Japan?
- Total fertility rate: births per woman in Japan was 1.2 births per woman in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 4.61 births per woman in 1947.
- What is the lowest total fertility rate: births per woman recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2 births per woman in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for total fertility rate: births per woman?
- Japan ranks 31st out of 34 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total fertility rate: births per woman rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total fertility rate: births per woman. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime if she experienced the fertility rates of a specific year.