Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (Fertility World Population) in Japan
Japan: Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (Fertility World Population) 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 204th out of 218 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 (births per woman) (Fertility World Population) 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% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1.15 births per woman is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.45 births per woman, 79% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 1.15 births per woman is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.12 births per woman, 54% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertility rate, total (births per woman) (Fertility World Population) in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | +41.1% | 1.58 births per woman | 2.23 births per woman |
| 1966 | -26.2% | 2.14 births per woman | 1.58 births per woman |
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 178 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0155 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.36 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0163 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 204th out of 218 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.