Population in Japan
Japan: Population was 124.37 million people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in Japan, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, population in Japan stood at 124.37 million people.
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.
That places Japan 12th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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
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 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
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.