Life expectancy at birth in Japan
Japan: Life expectancy at birth was 84.46 in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
84.46
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
1st
of 184 countries
All-time high
84.66
in 2020
All-time low
81.53
in 2000
Years of data
22
2000–2021
Life expectancy at birth in Japan, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Japan recorded 84.46 for life expectancy at birth in 2021.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Japan peaked at 84.66 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 81.53, in 2000.
Japan ranks 1st of 184 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Life expectancy at birth in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 81.53 | — |
| 2001 | 81.84 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 82.1 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 82.14 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 82.37 | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 82.24 | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 82.59 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 82.76 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 82.83 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 83.16 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 83.08 | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 82.83 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 83.33 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 83.56 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 83.79 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 84 | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 84.16 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 84.26 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 84.35 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 84.47 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 84.66 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 84.46 | -0.2% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 84.46 is above the median for high income countries, which is 79.31, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Japan's 84.46 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 70.19, 1.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 82.36 | 81.53 | 83.16 | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.78 | 82.83 | 84.47 | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.56 | 84.46 | 84.66 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 2 Singapore 83.86 compare
- 3 South Korea 83.8 compare
- 4 Switzerland 83.33 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)
- 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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Japan?
- Life expectancy at birth in Japan was 84.46 in 2021, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 84.66 in 2020.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.53 in 2000.
- How does Japan rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Japan ranks 1st out of 184 countries with data for 2021.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Life expectancy at birth (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).