Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Japan
Japan: Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death was 13.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
13.6%
Change on year
up 7.9%
World rank
17th
of 113 countries
All-time high
13.6%
in 2022
All-time low
2.7%
in 1998
Years of data
73
1950–2022
Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Japan, 1950–2022
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Japan stood at 13.6%. That is the highest value across all 73 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.9% on the previous year and up 122.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Japan peaked at 13.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.7%, in 1998.
Japan ranks 17th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 73 years of available data.
Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 8.8% | — |
| 1951 | 9.8% | +10.7% |
| 1952 | 10.5% | +8.1% |
| 1953 | 11.5% | +8.9% |
| 1954 | 11.3% | -1.7% |
| 1955 | 11.3% | +0.4% |
| 1956 | 12.3% | +8.5% |
| 1957 | 12.5% | +1.2% |
| 1958 | 9.7% | -22.3% |
| 1959 | 9.8% | +1.2% |
| 1960 | 9.8% | -0.4% |
| 1961 | 9.9% | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 9.7% | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 9.2% | -5.5% |
| 1964 | 8.9% | -3.3% |
| 1965 | 8.9% | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 8.5% | -5.0% |
| 1967 | 8.3% | -2.0% |
| 1968 | 7.5% | -10.3% |
| 1969 | 7.0% | -5.9% |
| 1970 | 7.1% | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 6.7% | -6.0% |
| 1972 | 6.2% | -7.6% |
| 1973 | 6.1% | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 5.8% | -4.1% |
| 1975 | 5.4% | -6.7% |
| 1976 | 5.3% | -3.0% |
| 1977 | 5.2% | -2.3% |
| 1978 | 4.9% | -4.1% |
| 1979 | 4.4% | -10.4% |
| 1980 | 4.6% | +4.5% |
| 1981 | 4.3% | -6.1% |
| 1982 | 4.1% | -5.9% |
| 1983 | 4.2% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 4.2% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 4.1% | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 4.0% | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 3.8% | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 3.9% | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 3.7% | -4.9% |
| 1990 | 3.7% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 3.6% | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 3.6% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 3.5% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | -22.9% |
| 1996 | 2.7% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 2.7% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 2.7% | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 2.7% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 2.9% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 3.2% | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 3.5% | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 3.7% | +7.3% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | +13.0% |
| 2009 | 4.5% | +6.7% |
| 2010 | 5.0% | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 5.4% | +7.7% |
| 2012 | 6.1% | +12.5% |
| 2013 | 6.8% | +12.2% |
| 2014 | 7.3% | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 8.0% | +9.4% |
| 2016 | 8.6% | +7.7% |
| 2017 | 9.3% | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 9.9% | +7.1% |
| 2019 | 10.8% | +8.5% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 12.6% | +7.8% |
| 2022 | 13.6% | +7.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 10.8% | 8.8% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 8.8% | 7.0% | 9.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.7% | 4.4% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.1% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 5.0% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.6% | 11.7% | 13.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 14 Guadeloupe 14.8% compare
- 15 Tajikistan 14.3% compare
- 16 Kazakhstan 13.7% compare
- 18 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.1% compare
- 19 French Guiana 12.4% compare
- 20 Albania 12.2% compare
More health data for Japan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.73 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2774 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,294 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 178 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate -0.5216 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0292 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate -5.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0331 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Japan?
- Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Japan was 13.6% in 2022, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 13.6% in 2022.
- What is the lowest share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7% in 1998.
- How does Japan rank for share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death?
- Japan ranks 17th out of 113 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 122.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of total reported deaths in both sexes in those aged all ages that are from ill-defined diseases.