What is population in Japan?

Population in Japan was 124.37 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest population recorded in Japan?

The highest recorded value was 128.19 million people in 2009.

What is the lowest population recorded in Japan?

The lowest recorded value was 86.44 million people in 1950.

How does Japan rank for population?

Japan ranks 12th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.

Is population rising or falling in Japan?

Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Population in Japan

Name: Population in Japan
Creator: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Japan: Population was 124.37 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)

124.37 million people

Change on year

down 0.5%

World rank

12th

of 236 countries

All-time high

128.19 million people

in 2009

All-time low

86.44 million people

in 1950

Years of data

1950–2023

Population in Japan, 1950–2023

Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

Japan recorded 124.37 million people for population in 2023.

That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population in Japan peaked at 128.19 million people in 2009 and was at its lowest, 86.44 million people, in 1950.

Japan ranks 12th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	91.55 million people	86.44 million people	95.62 million people	10
1960s	100.60 million people	96.40 million people	105.47 million people	10
1970s	112.40 million people	106.71 million people	117.52 million people	10
1980s	120.67 million people	118.36 million people	122.95 million people	10
1990s	125.31 million people	123.40 million people	126.80 million people	10
2000s	127.76 million people	127.03 million people	128.19 million people	10
2010s	127.45 million people	126.70 million people	128.19 million people	10
2020s	125.34 million people	124.37 million people	126.31 million people	4

Countries ranked near Japan

9 Russia 145.44 million people compare
10 Mexico 129.74 million people compare
11 Ethiopia 128.69 million people compare
13 Philippines 114.89 million people compare
14 Egypt 114.54 million people compare
15 Democratic Republic of Congo 105.79 million people compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

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)

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is population in Japan?: Population in Japan was 124.37 million people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest population recorded in Japan?: The highest recorded value was 128.19 million people in 2009.
What is the lowest population recorded in Japan?: The lowest recorded value was 86.44 million people in 1950.
How does Japan rank for population?: Japan ranks 12th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is population rising or falling in Japan?: Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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. 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

Indicator: Population
Unit: people
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.