Number of live births in Japan
Japan: Number of live births was 727,288 births in 2023. ▼ Falling
Number of live births in Japan, 1947–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of live births in Japan is 727,288 births, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 77 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.7% on the previous year and down 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of live births in Japan peaked at 2.71 million births in 1947 and was at its lowest, 727,288 births, in 2023.
That places Japan 4th out of 34 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 77 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 2.71 million births | 2.70 million births | 2.71 million births | 3 |
| 1950s | 1.85 million births | 1.58 million births | 2.35 million births | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.72 million births | 1.37 million births | 1.94 million births | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.90 million births | 1.65 million births | 2.10 million births | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.44 million births | 1.25 million births | 1.58 million births | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.21 million births | 1.18 million births | 1.24 million births | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.12 million births | 1.06 million births | 1.19 million births | 10 |
| 2010s | 991,037 births | 865,641 births | 1.07 million births | 10 |
| 2020s | 787,864 births | 727,288 births | 841,195 births | 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 number of live births in Japan?
- Number of live births in Japan was 727,288 births in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of live births recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.71 million births in 1947.
- What is the lowest number of live births recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 727,288 births in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for number of live births?
- Japan ranks 4th out of 34 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of live births rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of live births. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The total number of live births recorded in a given year.