Population by age group in Japan
Japan: Population by age group was 36.65 million people in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population by age group in Japan, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, population by age group in Japan stood at 36.65 million people. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population by age group in Japan peaked at 36.65 million people in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.23 million people, in 1950.
Japan ranks 4th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.80 million people | 4.23 million people | 5.38 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.36 million people | 5.54 million people | 7.33 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.88 million people | 7.54 million people | 10.39 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 12.40 million people | 10.73 million people | 14.39 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.12 million people | 15.00 million people | 21.37 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.61 million people | 22.14 million people | 29.13 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.35 million people | 29.55 million people | 36.17 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.57 million people | 36.41 million people | 36.65 million people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More population data for Japan
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.15 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 29,068 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.15 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.15 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.6% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.21 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population by age group in Japan?
- Population by age group in Japan was 36.65 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population by age group recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 36.65 million people in 2023.
- What is the lowest population by age group recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.23 million people in 1950.
- How does Japan rank for population by age group?
- Japan ranks 4th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population by age group rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by age group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown. This only includes people aged 65+.