Fertility rate, total in Japan
Japan: Fertility rate, total was 1.15 births per woman in 2024. ▼ Falling
Fertility rate, total in Japan, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in births per woman.
Analysis
Japan recorded 1.15 births per woman for fertility rate, total in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.2% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate, total in Japan peaked at 2.23 births per woman in 1967 and was at its lowest, 1.15 births per woman, in 2024.
That places Japan 203rd out of 217 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Fertility rate, total in Japan, year by year
| Year | births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2 births per woman | — |
| 1961 | 1.96 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1962 | 1.98 births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 2 births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 2.05 births per woman | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 2.14 births per woman | +4.4% |
| 1966 | 1.58 births per woman | -26.2% |
| 1967 | 2.23 births per woman | +41.1% |
| 1968 | 2.13 births per woman | -4.5% |
| 1969 | 2.13 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 2.13 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 2.16 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 1972 | 2.14 births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 2.14 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 2.05 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 1975 | 1.91 births per woman | -6.8% |
| 1976 | 1.85 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 1.8 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1978 | 1.79 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 1.77 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1980 | 1.75 births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 1.74 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 1.77 births per woman | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 1.8 births per woman | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 1.81 births per woman | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.76 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 1.72 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 1.69 births per woman | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 1.66 births per woman | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 1.57 births per woman | -5.4% |
| 1990 | 1.54 births per woman | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 1.53 births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 1.5 births per woman | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 1.46 births per woman | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 1.5 births per woman | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 1.42 births per woman | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 1.43 births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1997 | 1.39 births per woman | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 1.38 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1.34 births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 1.36 births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 1.33 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 1.32 births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 1.29 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 1.29 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.26 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 1.32 births per woman | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 1.34 births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 1.37 births per woman | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 1.37 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.39 births per woman | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 1.39 births per woman | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.41 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 1.43 births per woman | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 1.42 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 1.45 births per woman | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 1.44 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 1.43 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.42 births per woman | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 1.36 births per woman | -4.2% |
| 2020 | 1.33 births per woman | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 1.3 births per woman | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 1.26 births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 1.2 births per woman | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 1.15 births per woman | -4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.02 births per woman | 1.58 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.97 births per woman | 1.77 births per woman | 2.16 births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.73 births per woman | 1.57 births per woman | 1.81 births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.45 births per woman | 1.34 births per woman | 1.54 births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.32 births per woman | 1.26 births per woman | 1.37 births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.41 births per woman | 1.36 births per woman | 1.45 births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.25 births per woman | 1.15 births per woman | 1.33 births per woman | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
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 0-14, female, annual growth rate -2.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0547 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0576 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate, total in Japan?
- Fertility rate, total in Japan was 1.15 births per woman in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest fertility rate, total recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 2.23 births per woman in 1967.
- What is the lowest fertility rate, total recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.15 births per woman in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for fertility rate, total?
- Japan ranks 203rd out of 217 countries with data for 2024.
- Is fertility rate, total rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Fertility rate, total (births per woman). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.