Life expectancy at birth in Japan
Japan: Life expectancy at birth was 84.71 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy at birth in Japan, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Japan recorded 84.71 years for life expectancy at birth in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Japan peaked at 84.71 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 59.26 years, in 1950.
That places Japan 4th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 64.23 years | 59.26 years | 67.46 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 70.1 years | 67.72 years | 71.92 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 74.16 years | 72.01 years | 76.17 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.66 years | 76.14 years | 78.98 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 79.87 years | 78.99 years | 80.65 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.1 years | 81.18 years | 82.97 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.66 years | 82.67 years | 84.42 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.5 years | 84.05 years | 84.71 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 1 Monaco 86.37 years compare
- 2 San Marino 85.71 years compare
- 5 South Korea 84.33 years compare
- 6 Saint Barthelemy 84.29 years compare
- 7 French Polynesia 84.07 years compare
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 life expectancy at birth in Japan?
- Life expectancy at birth in Japan was 84.71 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 84.71 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.26 years in 1950.
- How does Japan rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Japan ranks 4th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Life expectancy at birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Period life expectancy at birth.