Infant mortality rate by sex in Japan
Japan: Infant mortality rate by sex was 0.1747 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.1747 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
up 1.7%
World rank
193rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
5.42 deaths per 100 live births
in 1950
All-time low
0.1691 deaths per 100 live births
in 2021
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Infant mortality rate by sex in Japan, 1950–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
In 2024, infant mortality rate by sex in Japan stood at 0.1747 deaths per 100 live births.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate by sex in Japan peaked at 5.42 deaths per 100 live births in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.1691 deaths per 100 live births, in 2021.
Japan ranks 193rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Infant mortality rate by sex in Japan, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5.42 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1951 | 5.02 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 1952 | 4.66 deaths per 100 live births | -7.2% |
| 1953 | 4.35 deaths per 100 live births | -6.6% |
| 1954 | 4.08 deaths per 100 live births | -6.3% |
| 1955 | 3.84 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1956 | 3.62 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1957 | 3.4 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1958 | 3.2 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1959 | 2.97 deaths per 100 live births | -7.2% |
| 1960 | 2.74 deaths per 100 live births | -8.0% |
| 1961 | 2.49 deaths per 100 live births | -9.0% |
| 1962 | 2.28 deaths per 100 live births | -8.6% |
| 1963 | 2.06 deaths per 100 live births | -9.5% |
| 1964 | 1.86 deaths per 100 live births | -9.9% |
| 1965 | 1.68 deaths per 100 live births | -9.6% |
| 1966 | 1.54 deaths per 100 live births | -8.3% |
| 1967 | 1.42 deaths per 100 live births | -7.7% |
| 1968 | 1.32 deaths per 100 live births | -7.4% |
| 1969 | 1.24 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1970 | 1.16 deaths per 100 live births | -6.0% |
| 1971 | 1.1 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1972 | 1.04 deaths per 100 live births | -5.9% |
| 1973 | 0.9804 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1974 | 0.9249 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1975 | 0.872 deaths per 100 live births | -5.7% |
| 1976 | 0.8238 deaths per 100 live births | -5.5% |
| 1977 | 0.7759 deaths per 100 live births | -5.8% |
| 1978 | 0.7325 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1979 | 0.6913 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1980 | 0.6545 deaths per 100 live births | -5.3% |
| 1981 | 0.619 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1982 | 0.5857 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1983 | 0.5543 deaths per 100 live births | -5.4% |
| 1984 | 0.5235 deaths per 100 live births | -5.6% |
| 1985 | 0.4994 deaths per 100 live births | -4.6% |
| 1986 | 0.4783 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 0.4579 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1988 | 0.4434 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1989 | 0.4318 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 0.4218 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 0.4161 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 0.4064 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 0.3985 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 0.3867 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 0.3754 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 1996 | 0.3626 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 0.3485 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 1998 | 0.3337 deaths per 100 live births | -4.3% |
| 1999 | 0.3176 deaths per 100 live births | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 0.3034 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 0.2912 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 0.2812 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 0.2724 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 0.2634 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 0.2556 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 0.2491 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 0.2426 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 0.2363 deaths per 100 live births | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 0.2297 deaths per 100 live births | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 0.2244 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 0.2215 deaths per 100 live births | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 0.2122 deaths per 100 live births | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 0.2049 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 0.1986 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 0.1927 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 0.188 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 0.1829 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 0.1781 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 0.1737 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1707 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 0.1691 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 0.1696 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 0.1717 deaths per 100 live births | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 0.1747 deaths per 100 live births | +1.7% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 0.1747 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.3234 deaths per 100 live births, 54% of the median. (65 countries reporting)
- Japan's 0.1747 deaths per 100 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.26 deaths per 100 live births, 14% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.06 deaths per 100 live births | 2.97 deaths per 100 live births | 5.42 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.86 deaths per 100 live births | 1.24 deaths per 100 live births | 2.74 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.9099 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6913 deaths per 100 live births | 1.16 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.5248 deaths per 100 live births | 0.4318 deaths per 100 live births | 0.6545 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3767 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3176 deaths per 100 live births | 0.4218 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2625 deaths per 100 live births | 0.2297 deaths per 100 live births | 0.3034 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1977 deaths per 100 live births | 0.1737 deaths per 100 live births | 0.2244 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1711 deaths per 100 live births | 0.1691 deaths per 100 live births | 0.1747 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 190 Norway 0.1828 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 191 Montenegro 0.1817 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 192 Sweden 0.178 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 194 Finland 0.1722 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 195 Luxembourg 0.1701 deaths per 100 live births compare
- 196 Slovenia 0.1682 deaths per 100 live births 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)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 178 deaths (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 infant mortality rate by sex in Japan?
- Infant mortality rate by sex in Japan was 0.1747 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.42 deaths per 100 live births in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate by sex recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1691 deaths per 100 live births in 2021.
- How does Japan rank for infant mortality rate by sex?
- Japan ranks 193rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rate by sex rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality rate by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of deaths of female children aged under one year, per 100 live births .