Population growth in Japan
Japan: Population growth was -0.4% in 2024. β Volatile
Population growth in Japan, 1970β2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Japan recorded -0.4% for population growth in 2024.
That represents a change of up 10.6% on the previous year and down 228.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Japan peaked at 2.2% in 1971 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 2023.
That places Japan 194th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.3% | 0.8% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | -0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.1% | -0.2% | 0.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.4% | -0.5% | -0.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More population data for Japan
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.501 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.83 million (2100)
- Population density 210.83 (2100)
- Population growth rate -0.501 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.15 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 29,068 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 1.15 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 1.15 (2024)
- Natural population growth -0.6228 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 1.21 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Japan?
- Population growth in Japan was -0.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 1971.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for population growth?
- Japan ranks 194th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 228.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release