Infant mortality rate in Japan
Japan: Infant mortality rate was 0.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Infant mortality rate in Japan, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of infants.
Analysis
In 2023, infant mortality rate in Japan stood at 0.2%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.5% on the previous year and down 22.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality rate in Japan peaked at 5.6% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2023.
That places Japan 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 4.3% | 3.3% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.1% | 1.4% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More health data for Japan
- 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)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 633,995 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 607,213 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 640,318 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 611,707 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 638,500 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 608,501 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant mortality rate in Japan?
- Infant mortality rate in Japan was 0.2% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality rate recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6% in 1950.
- What is the lowest infant mortality rate recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for infant mortality rate?
- Japan ranks 231st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant mortality rate rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality rate. 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).
About this data
The share of newborns who die before reaching the age of one.