Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Japan
Japan: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) was 11,776 thousands in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
11,776 thousands
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
20th
of 233 countries
All-time high
20,739 thousands
in 1971
All-time low
11,716 thousands
in 2024
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 15-24 years in Japan, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
In 2025, population aged 15-24 years in Japan stood at 11,776 thousands.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 15-24 years in Japan peaked at 20,739 thousands in 1971 and was at its lowest, 11,716 thousands, in 2024.
That places Japan 20th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in Japan, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20,596 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 20,739 thousands | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 19,997 thousands | -3.6% |
| 1973 | 19,038 thousands | -4.8% |
| 1974 | 18,150 thousands | -4.7% |
| 1975 | 17,512 thousands | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 16,913 thousands | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 16,473 thousands | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 16,148 thousands | -2.0% |
| 1979 | 15,988 thousands | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 15,979 thousands | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 16,045 thousands | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 15,723 thousands | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 15,963 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 16,110 thousands | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 16,330 thousands | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 16,693 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 17,214 thousands | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 17,774 thousands | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 18,378 thousands | +3.4% |
| 1990 | 18,827 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 19,124 thousands | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 19,501 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 19,329 thousands | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 19,132 thousands | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 18,833 thousands | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 18,427 thousands | -2.2% |
| 1997 | 17,912 thousands | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 17,321 thousands | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 16,674 thousands | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 16,060 thousands | -3.7% |
| 2001 | 15,555 thousands | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 15,080 thousands | -3.1% |
| 2003 | 14,657 thousands | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 14,244 thousands | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 13,849 thousands | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 13,466 thousands | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 13,192 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 12,926 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 12,647 thousands | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 12,426 thousands | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 12,230 thousands | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 12,110 thousands | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 12,016 thousands | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 11,961 thousands | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 11,945 thousands | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 11,968 thousands | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 12,003 thousands | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 12,027 thousands | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 12,036 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 11,985 thousands | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 11,906 thousands | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 11,805 thousands | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 11,770 thousands | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 11,716 thousands | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 11,776 thousands | +0.5% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 11,776 thousands is above the median for high income countries, which is 295.36 thousands, 39.9× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 11,776 thousands is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 305.44 thousands, 38.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18,155 thousands | 15,988 thousands | 20,739 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 16,621 thousands | 15,723 thousands | 18,378 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 18,508 thousands | 16,674 thousands | 19,501 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 14,168 thousands | 12,647 thousands | 16,060 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 12,072 thousands | 11,945 thousands | 12,426 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,826 thousands | 11,716 thousands | 11,985 thousands | 6 |
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 population aged 15-24 years in Japan?
- Population aged 15-24 years in Japan was 11,776 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 20,739 thousands in 1971.
- What is the lowest population aged 15-24 years recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,716 thousands in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for population aged 15-24 years?
- Japan ranks 20th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 15-24 years rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. 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 Population aged 15-24 years (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release