Fertility vs child mortality in Japan
Japan: Fertility vs child mortality was 1.21 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Fertility vs child mortality in Japan, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, fertility vs child mortality in Japan stood at 1.21. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility vs child mortality in Japan peaked at 3.62 in 1950 and was at its lowest, 1.21, in 2023.
That places Japan 216th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Fertility vs child mortality in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3.62 | — |
| 1951 | 3.23 | -10.8% |
| 1952 | 2.95 | -8.6% |
| 1953 | 2.67 | -9.3% |
| 1954 | 2.47 | -7.7% |
| 1955 | 2.35 | -4.8% |
| 1956 | 2.21 | -6.1% |
| 1957 | 2.04 | -7.7% |
| 1958 | 2.1 | +3.0% |
| 1959 | 2.04 | -3.0% |
| 1960 | 1.98 | -2.7% |
| 1961 | 1.93 | -2.7% |
| 1962 | 1.93 | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1.95 | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 2 | +2.4% |
| 1965 | 2.09 | +4.6% |
| 1966 | 1.63 | -21.9% |
| 1967 | 2.16 | +32.2% |
| 1968 | 2.06 | -4.3% |
| 1969 | 2.03 | -1.9% |
| 1970 | 2.04 | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 2.09 | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 2.11 | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 2.15 | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 2.06 | -3.7% |
| 1975 | 1.92 | -7.0% |
| 1976 | 1.84 | -4.2% |
| 1977 | 1.79 | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 1.79 | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 1.77 | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 1.74 | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 1.72 | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 1.74 | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 1.77 | +1.8% |
| 1984 | 1.78 | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 1.74 | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 1.7 | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 1.67 | -1.9% |
| 1988 | 1.62 | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 1.55 | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 1.51 | -2.5% |
| 1991 | 1.5 | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 1.48 | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 1.44 | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 1.47 | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 1.41 | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 1.4 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 1.38 | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 1.37 | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 1.34 | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 1.35 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 1.32 | -1.6% |
| 2002 | 1.31 | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.28 | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 1.28 | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.25 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 1.28 | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 1.3 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 1.33 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.33 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 1.36 | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 1.36 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 1.38 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.39 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 1.39 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.42 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 1.41 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 1.39 | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 1.37 | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 1.32 | -3.6% |
| 2020 | 1.3 | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 1.27 | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 1.26 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1.21 | -3.8% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 1.21 is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.5, 80% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 1.21 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.13, 57% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Fertility vs child mortality 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 | +32.2% | 1.63 | 2.16 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.57 | 2.04 | 3.62 | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.98 | 1.63 | 2.16 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.96 | 1.77 | 2.15 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.7 | 1.55 | 1.78 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.43 | 1.34 | 1.51 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3 | 1.25 | 1.35 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.38 | 1.32 | 1.42 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.26 | 1.21 | 1.3 | 4 |
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 vs child mortality in Japan?
- Fertility vs child mortality in Japan was 1.21 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility vs child mortality recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 3.62 in 1950.
- What is the lowest fertility vs child mortality recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.21 in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for fertility vs child mortality?
- Japan ranks 216th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility vs child mortality rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility vs child mortality. 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).