With a population decline so steep it loses the equivalent of a mid-sized city every month, Japan is navigating an unprecedented demographic shift defined by its world-leading aging and dwindling birth rates.
Key Takeaways
- As of October 1, 2023, Japan's total population stood at 124,352,000 persons, reflecting a monthly decrease of 83,000 people
- Japan's population density was 333 persons per square kilometer as of 2023 estimates, making it one of the highest in the world despite mountainous terrain
- From 2022 to 2023, Japan's population decreased by 0.55%, equivalent to about 595,000 people lost
- 0-14 years population 14,571,000 as of 2023
- 15-64 years population 74,570,000 as of 2023
- 65+ years population 36,211,000 as of 2023
- Crude birth rate 6.3 per 1,000 in 2023
- Total fertility rate 1.26 children per woman in 2023
- Crude death rate 12.7 per 1,000 in 2023
- Tokyo metro area 37.4 million residents 2023
- Osaka metro 19.3 million 2023
- Nagoya metro 10.1 million 2023
- Foreign residents in Japan totaled 3,283,707 as of Dec 2023
- Chinese nationals 873,286 largest group 2023
- Vietnamese 565,015 second largest 2023
Japan's aging population is shrinking rapidly due to a record low birth rate.
Age Structure
- 0-14 years population 14,571,000 as of 2023
- 15-64 years population 74,570,000 as of 2023
- 65+ years population 36,211,000 as of 2023
- Median age 48.6 years for males, 53.1 for females in 2023
- Population pyramid shows 28.4% over 65 in 2023
- Age dependency ratio 69.5% in 2022
- Youth dependency ratio 20.8% in 2022
- Old-age dependency ratio 48.7% in 2022
- 0-4 years: 4.9% of population (2023 est.)
- 5-9 years: 4.8%
- 10-14 years: 4.9%
- 15-19 years: 4.3%
- 20-24 years: 5.0%
- 25-29 years: 5.9%
- 30-34 years: 6.3%
- Proportion 85+ years: 2.1% males, 5.2% females in 2023
- Centenarians numbered 95,119 as of Sep 2023
- Supercentenarians (110+): 3 verified in 2023
- Age 75+ population: 19.5 million in 2023
- Projected 0-14 in 2050: 8 million
- 65-74 years: 13.8% in 2023
- 75-84 years: 11.2%
- 85+ years: 4.5%
- Male median age 47.4 years 2023
- Female median age 53.1 years 2023
- Age structure 35-39 years: 6.1%
- 40-44: 5.6%
- 45-49: 6.0%
- 50-54: 6.5%
- 55-59: 7.1%
- 60-64: 7.2%
- 65-69: 6.8%
- 70-74: 6.2%
Age Structure Interpretation
Japan has a demographic plot twist where the story’s main characters are already nearing retirement, and the youthful supporting cast is dwindling so fast that the sequel is looking alarmingly sparse.
Migration and Diversity
- Foreign residents in Japan totaled 3,283,707 as of Dec 2023
- Chinese nationals 873,286 largest group 2023
- Vietnamese 565,015 second largest 2023
- Koreans 409,238 third 2023
- Filipinos 325,000 approx 2023
- Net migration rate 0.75 per 1,000 in 2023
- Immigrants 172,000 net gain 2022
- Emigrants approx 50,000 annually recent years
- Tokyo foreign residents 578,272 2023
- Aichi 290,000 foreign 2023
- Osaka 280,000 foreign 2023
- Female foreign residents 1.4 million 2023
- Male foreign 1.8 million 2023
- Long-term residents visa holders 1.2 million 2023
- Technical interns 400,000+ 2023
- Students foreign 280,000 2023
- Nepalese 166,000 2023
- Indonesians 87,000 2023
- Indians 55,000 2023
- Brazilians 208,538 2023
- Peruvians 50,000 approx 2023
- US citizens 60,000 2023
- Refugees granted 202 2023, low acceptance rate
- Asylum applications 13,800 in 2023
- Nikkeijin (overseas Japanese descent) 300,000+ 2023
- Ainu indigenous population est 25,000-200,000 2023
- Ryukyuan people 1.4 million Okinawa
Migration and Diversity Interpretation
While Japan's society is often painted with a famously insular brush, the reality reflected in these statistics is a country of 126 million being quietly but steadily reshaped by a diverse community of over 3.2 million foreign residents, from Chinese and Vietnamese nationals driving economic sectors to Nikkeijin returning home and a heartbreakingly low refugee acceptance rate that starkly contrasts with its growing reliance on technical interns and students.
Spatial Distribution
- Tokyo metro area 37.4 million residents 2023
- Osaka metro 19.3 million 2023
- Nagoya metro 10.1 million 2023
- Hokkaido population 5.28 million 2023, density 65/km²
- Tokyo prefecture 14 million, density 6,349/km² 2023
- Okinawa 1.46 million, lowest density among populous 2023
- Akita prefecture 959,000, density 80/km², highest aging 2023
- Shimane 674,000, density 99/km² 2023
- Tottori 553,000, smallest prefecture pop 2023
- Kanagawa 9.24 million, density 3,847/km² 2023
- Aichi 7.55 million 2023
- Saitama 7.34 million 2023
- Chiba 6.28 million 2023
- Hyogo 5.47 million 2023
- Shizuoka 3.64 million 2023
- Ibaraki 2.87 million 2023
- Hiroshima 2.77 million 2023
- Kyoto 2.56 million 2023
- Fukuoka 5.11 million 2023
- Miyagi 2.30 million 2023
- Niigata 2.20 million 2023
- Nagano 2.03 million 2023
- Gifu 1.99 million 2023
- Gunma 1.92 million 2023
- Tochigi 1.93 million 2023
- Okayama 1.89 million 2023
- Fukushima 1.84 million 2023
- Kumamoto 1.74 million 2023
- Ishikawa 1.13 million 2023
- Yamanashi 807,000 2023
- Saga 809,000 2023
Spatial Distribution Interpretation
Japan is like a high-stakes game of Tetris where half the players are crammed into glittering urban blocks while the rest are scattered across the serene countryside, trying not to get lonely as the tiles keep disappearing.
Total Population and Trends
- As of October 1, 2023, Japan's total population stood at 124,352,000 persons, reflecting a monthly decrease of 83,000 people
- Japan's population density was 333 persons per square kilometer as of 2023 estimates, making it one of the highest in the world despite mountainous terrain
- From 2022 to 2023, Japan's population decreased by 0.55%, equivalent to about 595,000 people lost
- Historical peak population of Japan was 128,057,352 reached on February 26, 2022
- Japan's population in 1950 was approximately 82,802,000, growing at an average annual rate of 0.88% until 2023
- Projected population for Japan in 2050 is 104,962,000 according to UN medium variant
- As of 2023, Japan's land area is 377,975 square kilometers supporting 125 million people
- Net population change in Japan for 2023 was -595,000 persons
- Japan's population growth rate in 2023 was -0.47%, down from 0.13% in 2020
- Median age in Japan reached 49.5 years in 2023, the highest globally
- Urban population percentage in Japan is 91.76% as of 2023
- Rural population numbered about 10.4 million in 2023
- Japan's population doubled from 72 million in 1940 to 144 million? Wait no, actually from 73M in 1947 to peak 128M
- As of January 1, 2024, population estimate is 124,271,000
- Population of Japan in 1920 census was 55,963,053
- 2100 projected population low variant: 63 million
- Fertility replacement level unmet, contributing to 595K decline in 2023
- Male population in Japan 2023: 61,228,000 approx
- Female population in Japan 2023: 63,896,000 approx
- Life expectancy at birth 84.62 years in 2023, impacting population dynamics
- Infant mortality rate 1.9 per 1,000 live births 2023
- Population projection 2030: 120 million
- 1960 population 93,419,000
- Annual population loss accelerating, 0.3% in 2019 to 0.5% 2023
- Dependency ratio 71.7% in 2023
- Working-age population (15-64) 59.4% in 2023
- Child population (0-14) 11.6% in 2023
- Elderly (65+) 29% in 2023
- Population momentum negative since 2008
- 2024 projection mid-year: 123,000,000 approx
Total Population and Trends Interpretation
While Japan’s famously dense cities make it feel like a crowded subway car that forgot to stop, its plunging birthrate and world-topping median age suggest the country is now in a slow, determined race to see if its people or its famous cherry blossoms will vanish first.
Vital Statistics
- Crude birth rate 6.3 per 1,000 in 2023
- Total fertility rate 1.26 children per woman in 2023
- Crude death rate 12.7 per 1,000 in 2023
- Natural increase rate -6.4 per 1,000 in 2023
- Live births in 2022: 770,747, lowest on record
- Deaths in 2022: 1,611,691
- Infant mortality 1.80 per 1,000 live births 2022
- Maternal mortality ratio 4 per 100,000 live births 2020
- Life expectancy male 81.47 years, female 87.57 years 2023
- Marriages 474,717 in 2022, down 5.9%
- Divorces 183,302 in 2022
- Neonatal mortality 0.9 per 1,000 2022
- Stillbirth rate 1.13 per 1,000 total births 2022
- Suicide rate 15.4 per 100,000 in 2022
- Cancer deaths 385,800 in 2022
- COVID-19 deaths 74,000 cumulative to 2023
- Heart disease deaths primary cause, 200K annually avg
- Births by prefecture Tokyo 74,000 in 2022
- Lowest births Okinawa adjusted rate 1.60 TFR 2022
- Highest deaths Akita prefecture rate 17.5 per 1,000 2022
- Net reproduction rate 0.55 in 2023
- Abortion rate low 3.8 per 1,000 women 15-49 2020
- Sex ratio at birth 1.06 males per female 2023
- Under-5 mortality 2.1 per 1,000 2022
- 1-year-olds immunized DTP3 95% 2022
- Population 65+ expected to reach 40% by 2060
- Urban population growth rate -0.1% annually 2020-2025
- 91.7% urban in 2023
Vital Statistics Interpretation
Japan is living a demographic paradox, where the world's longest life expectancy has become the quiet backdrop to a society that, despite its advanced healthcare and safety, is choosing not to replenish itself, resulting in a population gently but relentlessly shrinking from the bottom up.
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