Preterm birth in Japan

Japan: Preterm birth was 46,075 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
46,075
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
33rd
of 102 countries
All-time high
62,903
in 2010
All-time low
46,075
in 2020
Years of data
11
2010–2020

Preterm birth in Japan, 2010–2020

020.0k40.0k60.0k2010201520202010: 62.9k2011: 61.4k2012: 60.7k2013: 60.0k2014: 58.3k2015: 57.7k2016: 55.8k2017: 51.5k2018: 49.6k2019: 46.8k2020: 46.1k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

The most recent figure for preterm birth in Japan is 46,075, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 26.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, preterm birth in Japan peaked at 62,903 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 46,075, in 2020.

Japan ranks 33rd of 102 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Preterm birth in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Preterm birth (number) in Japan, 2010 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2010 62,903 —
2011 61,420 -2.4%
2012 60,678 -1.2%
2013 60,009 -1.1%
2014 58,291 -2.9%
2015 57,700 -1.0%
2016 55,845 -3.2%
2017 51,532 -7.7%
2018 49,579 -3.8%
2019 46,769 -5.7%
2020 46,075 -1.5%

Japan compared with similar countries

  • Japan's 46,075 is above the median for high income countries, which is 6,023, 7.6× the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Japan's 46,075 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23,600, 2.0× the median. (14 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 56,473 46,769 62,903 10
2020s 46,075 46,075 46,075 1

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 30 Zambia 50,699 compare
  2. 31 France 48,777 compare
  3. 32 Thailand 47,694 compare
  4. 34 Guatemala 39,711 compare
  5. 35 Peru 39,651 compare
  6. 36 Venezuela 38,540 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More health data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is preterm birth in Japan?
Preterm birth in Japan was 46,075 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest preterm birth recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 62,903 in 2010.
What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 46,075 in 2020.
How does Japan rank for preterm birth?
Japan ranks 33rd out of 102 countries with data for 2020.
Is preterm birth rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Preterm birth (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).

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Preterm birth in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/preterm-birth-number/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Preterm birth (number)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
120 places, 1,320 data points, 2010–2020
Last refreshed