View source for Demographics of Japan

{{Short description|None}}<!-- "None" is a legitimate description when the title is already adequate; see [[WP:SDNONE]]. -->
{{Infobox place demographics
| place              = [[Japan]]
| image              = Japan Population Pyramid.svg
| image_size         = 350
| caption            = Japan's [[population pyramid]], 2023
| size_of_population = {{decrease}} 123,400,000 (April 2025)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statistics Bureau Home Page/Population Estimates Monthly Report |url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html |access-date=20 February 2024 |website=www.stat.go.jp |archive-date=5 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405030144/https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Statistics Bureau Home Page/Population Estimates Monthly Report |url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.htm |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=www.stat.go.jp |archive-date=2022-04-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401013551/https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> ([[List of countries and dependencies by population|11th]])
| density            = {{cvt|343.28|/km2}} (2022)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Japan - population density 2022 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/270075/population-density-in-japan/ |access-date=2025-07-21 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref>
| nation             = [[Japanese people|Japanese]]
| major_ethnic       = [[Yamato people|Yamatos]] <small>(Native)</small>
| minor_ethnic       = {{Unbulleted list
|{{Tree list}}
* [[Ryukyuan people|Ryukyuans]] <small>(Native)</small>
* [[Han Chinese]]
* [[Koreans]]
* [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]]
* [[Filipinos]]
* [[Nepalis]]
* [[Ainu people|Ainu]] <small>(Native)</small>
* Others
{{Tree list/end}}
}}
| official           = [[Japanese language|Japanese]]
| spoken             = [[Languages of Japan]]
| growth             = {{increase}} – 0.44% (2024)
| birth              = {{increase}} 5.8 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
| death              = {{increaseNegative}} 12.7 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
| life               = {{increase}} 84.83 years
| life_male          = {{increase}} 81 years
| life_female        = {{increase}} 87 years
| fertility          = {{decrease}} 1.14 children born/woman (2024)
| infant_mortality   = {{decreasePositive}} 1.9 deaths/1,000 live births
| net_migration      = {{increaseNeutral}} 0.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population
| age_0–14_years     = {{decrease}} 10.9%
| age_15–64_years    = {{decrease}} 59.7%
| age_65_years       = {{negative increase}} 29.4%
| total_mf_ratio     = 0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
| sr_at_birth        = 1.06 male(s)/female
}}

[[File:Historical population of Japan.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Japan's population history]]

The demography of [[Japan]] is monitored by [[National Institute of Population and Social Security Research]] (IPSS) and [[Statistics Bureau (Japan)|Statistics Bureau]]. As of April 2025, Japan's population was roughly 123.4 million people, and peaked at 128.5 million people in 2010. It is the [[List of Asian countries by population|6th-most populous country]] in Asia, and the [[List of countries by population (United Nations)|11th-most populous country]] in the world.

In 2024, the [[List of countries by median age|median age]] of Japanese people was projected to be 49.9 years, the highest level since 1950, compared to 29.8 for India, 38.9 for the United States and 40.2 for China.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Median age – The World Factbook |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/median-age/country-comparison |access-date=18 November 2025 |publisher=Central Intelligence Agency}}</ref> Japan has the second highest median age in the world, behind only [[Monaco]]. An improved quality of life and regular health checks are two reasons why Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.

The [[life expectancy]] from birth in Japan improved significantly after [[World War II]], rising 20 years between 1945 and 1955. As life expectancy rises further, Japan expects to experience difficulties caring for the older generations in the future. Shortages in the service sector are already a major concern, with demand for nurses and care workers increasing.

The [[Total fertility rate|fertility rate]] among Japanese women was around 1.4 children per woman from 2010 to 2018. From then until 2022, the fertility rate declined to 1.2. Apart from a small baby boom in the early 1970s, the crude birth rate in Japan has been declining since 1950. It reached its currently lowest point of 5.8&nbsp;births per thousand people in 2023. With a falling birth rate and a large share of its inhabitants reaching old age, Japan's population is expected to continue declining, a trend that has been seen since 2010.

[[Japanese language|Japanese]] is a major language of the [[Japonic languages|Japonic language family]] spoken by [[Japanese people]], which is separated into [[Japanese dialects|several dialects]], with the Tokyo dialect considered [[Standard Japanese]]. Japanese has around 128 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the [[national language]], and within the [[Japanese diaspora]] across the globe.

The [[Human sex ratio|sex ratio]] in Japan in 2021 was 95.38 males per 100 females. There are 61.53 million males and 64.52 million females in Japan. The female percentage of the population was 51.18%, compared to 48.82% male population. Japan has 2.98 million more females than males.

== Historical overview ==
{{Historical populations
|type = 
|percentages = pagr
|1920 | 55,963,053
|1925 | 59,736,822
|1930 | 64,450,005
|1935 | 69,254,148 	
|1940 | 73,114,308
|1945 | 71,998,104
|1950 | 83,199,637
|1955 | 89,275,529
|1960 | 93,418,501
|1965 | 98,274,961
|1970 | 103,720,060
|1975 | 111,939,643
|1980 | 117,060,396
|1985 | 121,048,923
|1990 | 123,611,167
|1995 | 125,570,246
|2000 | 126,925,843
|2005 | 127,767,994
|2010 | 128,057,352
|2015 | 127,094,745
|2020 | 126,146,099
|2024 | 123,802,000
|footnote=Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.}}

{{See also|Demography of the Empire of Japan|Demographic history of Japan before the Meiji Restoration}}

As of 2025, Japan was the world's [[list of countries and dependencies by population|twelfth-most populous country]]. Japan's population had declined by 0.8 percent from the time of the 2012 census, the first time it had declined since the 1945 census.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/26/national/japans-population-declines-2015-first-time-since-1920/#.WBC3EtJ96M8 |title= Japan's population declines in 2015 for first time since 1920 |access-date= October 26, 2016 |archive-date= October 27, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20161027000011/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/26/national/japans-population-declines-2015-first-time-since-1920/#.WBC3EtJ96M8 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

Since 2010, Japan has experienced net population loss due to falling [[birth rate]]s and minimal [[Immigration to Japan|immigration]], despite having one of the highest [[life expectancy|life expectancies]] in the world, at 85.00 years in 2016. It stood at 81.25 in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html |title= The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency |website= Cia.gov |access-date= 2017-04-17 |archive-date= 2018-12-29 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181229134543/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> Using the annual estimate for October of each year, the population peaked in 2008 at 128,083,960 and had fallen by 2,983,352 by October 2021.<ref>Japan Statistical Agency monthly Population Estimate.</ref>

Based on 2012 data from the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japan's population will keep declining by about one million people every year in the coming decades, which would leave it with a population of around 70 million by 2060 and 42 million by early 22nd century if the current [[Human population projections|projections]] do not change.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.ipss.go.jp/p-info/e/psj2012/PSJ2012.asp |title= Population Statistics of Japan e2012 |work= National Institute of Population and Social Security Research |date= January 2012 |access-date= 4 January 2015 |archive-date= 22 August 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150822215355/http://www.ipss.go.jp/p-info/e/psj2012/PSJ2012.asp |url-status= live }}</ref> More than 40% of the population is expected to be over the age of 65 in 2060.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16787538 |title= Japan population to shrink by one-third by 2060 |date= January 30, 2012 |work= BBC News |access-date= June 21, 2018 |archive-date= October 22, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181022200708/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16787538 |url-status= live }}</ref> In 2021, the population had for fifteen consecutive years declined by 644,000 on this year, the largest drop on record since 1945 and also reflecting a record low of 831,000 births. In 2013, more than 20 percent of the population of Japan were aged 65 and over.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japans-population-falls-by-record-244000-in-2013 |title= Japan's population falls by record 244,000 in 2013 |date= January 2, 2014 |access-date= January 3, 2014 |archive-date= January 3, 2014 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20140103152531/http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/japans-population-falls-by-record-244000-in-2013 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

In July 2000, the population consisted of 47,062,743 households, with 78.7% in urban areas. Japan has a high population density of 329.5 people per square kilometer. There are 1,523 persons per square kilometer of habitable land. In July 1993, more than 50% of the population lived on 2% of the land.<ref name="loc" /> In 2009, the population to land density ratio had gradually increased, now at 127 million per 337 sq km. Compared to the findings of July 1993 and July 2000, the population density has greatly increased, from 50% of the population living on 2% of the land to 77%.<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web |author=Yoko Wakatsuki and James Griffiths |date=7 May 2018 |title=Number of children in Japan shrinks to new record low |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/07/health/japan-child-population-record-low-intl/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=8 October 2018 |archive-date=7 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507083400/https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/07/health/japan-child-population-record-low-intl/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the years have progressed since the last recordings of the population, Japan's population has decreased, raising concern about the future of Japan. There are many causes, such as the declining birthrates, as well as the ratio of men to women since the last measurements from the years of 2006 and 2010. According to the Japanese Health Ministry, the population is estimated to drop from its current state of 125.58 million to 86.74 million by the year 2060.<ref name="auto4"/>

Japan dropped from the 5th most populous country in the world to 6th in 1964, 7th in 1978, 8th in 1990, to 9th in 1998, to 10th in the early 21st century, 11th in 2020, and to 12th in 2023.<ref>{{cite report |author= United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs, Population Division |date= 2015 |title= World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision, Key Findings and Advance Tables |url= https://population.un.org/wpp/publications/files/key_findings_wpp_2015.pdf |page= 23 |access-date= 2020-07-26 |archive-date= 2020-07-26 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200726121246/https://population.un.org/wpp/publications/files/key_findings_wpp_2015.pdf |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>https://www.prb.org/world-population-2015/&usg=AOvVaw0xnHFwqbWicTrd7ozF_x2e {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Between 2010 to 2015, Japan's population shrank by almost a million,<ref name="guardianshrink">{{cite news|author= Richard Smart |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/26/japan-population-declines-first-time-since-1920s-official-census |title= Japan's population declines for first time since 1920s – official census &#124; World news |newspaper= [[The Guardian]] |access-date= 2017-04-17}}</ref> and Japan lost a half-million in 2022 alone.<ref name="2022pop">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/13/asia/japan-population-decline-record-drop-intl-hnk/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |accessdate=2022-04-17 |date=2023-04-13 |last1=Yeung |first1=Jessie |last2=Karasawa |first2=Moeri |title=Japan's population drops by half a million in 2022 |archive-date=2023-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413122130/https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/13/asia/japan-population-decline-record-drop-intl-hnk/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The number of Japanese citizens decreased by 801,000 to 122,423,038 in 2022 from a year earlier, which was the most severe decrease and the first time all 47 prefectures have suffered a decline since the launch of the poll in 1968. In early 2010, Japan's population reached 128,057,352. In the 2010s, the long-lasting effects of Japanese economic crisis during the [[Great Recession]] strongly slowed down immigration rates in Japan.

In March 2011, Japan was hit by an [[2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami|earthquake and tsunami]], which caused the meltdown of the [[Fukushima nuclear accident|Fukushima nuclear plant]]. These disasters resulted in 20,000 deaths, a reduction of about 1.39 years in the average life expectancy, a decrease in birth rates, and the steepest decrease in immigration rates since the [[Chernobyl disaster]] in 1986.

From January 2020 to the end of September 2021 and as a direct effect of [[COVID-19 pandemic]], Japan registered at least 112,000 excess deaths,<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Changes in the cause of death in Japan before and during the COVID-19 pandemic |date=March 11, 2023 |pmc=10008090 |last1=Uchi |first1=Y. |last2=Yamashita |first2=E. |last3=Kami |first3=M. |last4=Takita |first4=M. |journal=Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics |volume=111 |article-number=104993 |doi=10.1016/j.archger.2023.104993 |pmid=36931051 }}</ref> a reduction of about 2.6 years in the average [[life expectancy]], a noticeable decrease in birth rates and a marked decrease in immigration rates. The overall effect was a record population decline of 798,214 persons in that year, although the [[excess mortality]] rate for all causes has been estimated at between 100,000 and 130,000 deaths. It is the largest population decline recorded since [[World War I]] (1914–1918), [[Spanish flu pandemic]] (1918–1920), [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kanto earthquake]] (1923), [[Shōwa financial crisis|Showa Recession]] and Depression of 1930s, and [[Pacific War|Asia-Pacific War]] in [[World War II]] (1937–1945).{{clarification needed|date=August 2023}}

According to a demographic study conducted by [[Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications|Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications]], the Japanese population, including foreign residents, declined from 128 million people in 2010 to 124.3 million people in 2023, with a decrease of almost 511,000 people in one year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-26 |title=Japanese population falls in all 47 prefectures for first time |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/07/26/national/japan-population-fall/ |access-date=2023-07-26 |website=The Japan Times |language=en |archive-date=2023-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925052028/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/07/26/national/japan-population-fall/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Blair |first=Gavin |date=2023-07-26 |title=Japan's population drops by nearly 800,000 with falls in every prefecture for the first time |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/26/japan-population-how-many-people-drops-first-time-births-deaths |access-date=2023-07-26 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

{{Chart|definition=Japan Total Population.chart|data=Japan Total Population.tab|Width=500}}

{{Chart|definition=Japan Population Change.chart|data=Japan Population Change.tab|Width=500}}

{{Chart|definition=Total Fertility Rate.chart|data=Total Fertility Rate.tab|Width=500}}

{{Chart|definition=Infant Mortality Rate.chart|data=Infant Mortality Rate.tab|Width=500}}

{{Clear}}

==Population==

===Census===
{{see also|population and housing censuses by country}}

[[Japan]] collects census information every five years, with censuses conducted by the [[Statistics Bureau (Japan)|Statistics Bureau]] of the [[Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications|Ministry of Internal Affairs]].<ref name="SBJ-Population-December-2020">{{cite web|url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html|title=Population Estimates Monthly Report December 2020|date=June 20, 2019|website=www.stat.go.jp|publisher=Statistics Bureau Japan|language=en|access-date=July 18, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606203315/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/jinsui/tsuki/index.html |archive-date= June 6, 2019}}</ref><ref name="stat.go.jp">{{cite web | url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/index.html | title=Statistics Bureau Home Page/Population Census | access-date=2023-02-16 | archive-date=2023-02-16 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230216002018/https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/index.html | url-status=live }}</ref> The latest population census reflects the situation as of 2020.<ref name="stat.go.jp"/>

===Population density===
[[File:Population density of Japan (July 2025).svg|thumb|A map of Japan's population density [[Municipalities of Japan|by municipality]], July 2025.]]
In 2025, Japan's population density was 338 people per square kilometer (875 people per square mile). It ranks 41st in a [[list of countries by population density]]. Between 1955 and 1989, land prices in the six largest cities increased by 15,000%, +12% per year compounded. Urban land prices generally increased 40% from 1980 to 1987. In the six largest cities, the price of land doubled over that period. For many families, this trend put housing in central cities out of reach.<ref name=loc/>

The result was lengthy [[commuting|commute]]s for many workers in the big cities, especially in [[Tokyo]] area/[[Kanto Region]], where daily commutes of two hours each way are common.<ref name=loc/> In 1991, as the bubble economy started to collapse, land prices began a steep decline, and within a few years fell 60% below their peak.<ref name="Krugman 2009">{{cite book| last = Krugman| first = Paul| year = 2009| title = The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008| publisher = W.W. Norton Company Limited| isbn = 978-0-393-07101-6| url-access = registration| url = https://archive.org/details/returnofdepressi00krug}}</ref> After a decade of declining land prices, residents began moving back into central city areas, especially Tokyo's 23&nbsp;wards, as evidenced by 2005 census figures. Despite nearly 70% of Japan being covered by forests,<ref name="Forest area % of land area">{{cite web |title=Forest area (% of land area) |url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?order=wbapi_data_value_2013+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc |publisher=The World Bank |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2015-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016000406/http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?order=wbapi_data_value_2013+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc |url-status=live }}</ref> [[park]]s in many major cities—especially Tokyo and Osaka—are smaller and scarcer than in major West European or North American cities. As of 2014, parkland per inhabitant in Tokyo is 5.78 square meters,<ref>{{cite web |title=公園の現況 |url=http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/kouen/gaiyo/01.html |publisher=Bureau of Construction Tokyo Metropolitan Government |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2015-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929205119/http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/kouen/gaiyo/01.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which is roughly half of the 11.5 square meters of Madrid.<ref>{{cite web |title=Madrid Now |url=http://www.thenowinstitute.org/?page_id=124 |publisher=The Now Institute – Urban research, planning and speculations |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2015-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016000408/http://www.thenowinstitute.org/?page_id=124 |url-status=live }}</ref>

National and regional governments devote resources to making regional cities and rural areas more attractive by developing transportation networks, social services, industry, and educational institutions to try to decentralize settlement and improve the quality of life. Nevertheless, major cities, especially Tokyo, [[Yokohama]] and [[Fukuoka]], and to a lesser extent [[Kyoto]], [[Osaka]] and [[Nagoya]], remain attractive to young people seeking education and jobs.<ref name=loc/>

===Urban distribution===
{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|caption = By 2015 census, the % of the population living in: 
|label1 = [[Kanto region]]
|value1 = 34.5
|color1 = #191970
|label2 = [[Keihanshin]]
|value2 = 16.3
|color2 = #1630BE
|label3 = [[Tokai region]]
|value3 = 11.8
|color3 = #0E4BEF		
|label4 = [[Kyushu region]]
|value4 = 11.4
|color4 = #318CE7
|label5 = Rest of Japan
|value5 = 26
|color5 = Lightblue	
}}
[[File:Population of Japan by area, 2015.png|thumb|Japan's population distribution<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&toukei=00200524&tstat=000000090001&cycle=0&tclass1=000000090001&tclass2=000001095055|title=人口推計 国勢調査結果による補間補正人口 平成22年及び27年国勢調査結果による補間補正人口 &#124; ファイル &#124; 統計データを探す|website=政府統計の総合窓口}}</ref> by [[List of regions of Japan|regions]] (blue shades) and [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]] (red: most populous; green: less).<br />[[Kantō region|KANTO]], [[Keihanshin|KEIHANSHIN]] and [[Tōkai region|TOKAI]] are the three largest metropolitan areas, which have about 2/3 of Japan's population. Out of 47 prefectures, 13 are red and 34 are green.<br /> Japan's population has been decreasing since 2011. Only 8 prefectures increased their population compared to 2010, due to internal migration to large cities. ]]
{{external media
| topic = Views of the World
| align  = 
| width  = 
| image1 = [http://www.viewsoftheworld.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Japan_PopulationCartogram.png Japan Gridded Population Cartogram]
| image2 = [https://worldmapper.org/maps/gridded-population-jpn/ Japan Gridded Population]
}}
Japan has a high population concentration in urban areas on the plains since 75% of Japan's land area is made up of mountains,<ref>{{cite web |title=地形分類 |url=http://www.gsi.go.jp/atlas/archive/j-atlas-d_j_02.pdf |publisher=Geospatial Information Authority of Japan |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2016-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305031643/http://www.gsi.go.jp/atlas/archive/j-atlas-d_j_02.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and also Japan has a forest cover rate of 68.5% (the only other developed countries with such a high forest cover percentage are Finland and Sweden).<ref name="Forest area % of land area"/>
The 2010 census shows 90.7% of the total Japanese population live in cities.<ref>{{cite web |title=平成22年国勢調査最終報告書 人口の地域分布 |url=http://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2010/final/pdf/01-02.pdf |publisher=The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Statistics Bureau |access-date=2015-10-14 |archive-date=2018-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119105951/http://www.stat.go.jp/data/kokusei/2010/final/pdf/01-02.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Japan is an urban society with about only 5% of the [[labor force]] working in [[agriculture]]. Many farmers supplement their income with [[part-time job]]s in nearby towns and cities. About 80&nbsp;million of the urban population is heavily concentrated on the Pacific shore of [[Honshu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/today/placesinthenews/archive/2011arch/20110921_japan.html|title=Japan – Places in the News {{!}} Library of Congress|website=www.loc.gov|language=en|access-date=2017-01-30|archive-date=2017-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202062725/https://www.loc.gov/today/placesinthenews/archive/2011arch/20110921_japan.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Metropolitan [[Tokyo]]–[[Yokohama]], with its population of 35 million residents, is the world's most populous city. Japan faces the same problems that confront urban industrialized societies throughout the world: overcrowded cities and congested [[highway]]s.

===Age structure===
{{Main|Aging of Japan}}The age structure of Japan is highly unique and is characterized by a "super-aged" society and it is the oldest population structure in the world<ref>{{Cite web |title=Countries With the Oldest Populations in the World |url=https://www.prb.org/resources/countries-with-the-oldest-populations-in-the-world/ |access-date=2025-12-14 |website=PRB |language=en-US}}</ref>. This demographic profile results from the combination of a high life expectancy and a persistently low total fertility rate (TFR). The age distribution is often described as a constrictive or inverted pyramid shape, with a narrow base (few young people) and a large bulge in the middle and upper ages<ref>{{Cite web |title=How an Inverted Population Pyramid Affects Society » Online Graduate Programs in Innovative Aging Studies » College of Medicine » University of Florida |url=https://online.aging.ufl.edu/2025/04/30/how-an-inverted-population-pyramid-affects-society/ |access-date=2025-12-14 |language=en}}</ref>.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right;"
|+ Overview of the changing age distribution 1935–2020<ref name="autogenerated1"/>
! rowspan="2"|Year
! rowspan="2"|Total population<br />(census;<br>thousands)
! colspan="3"|Population by age (%)
|-
! 0–14
! 15–64
! 65+
|-
| 1935
|69,254
|{{percentage bar|36.9}}
|{{percentage bar|58.5}}
|{{percentage bar|4.7}}
|-
| 1940
|73,114
|{{percentage bar|36.1}}
|{{percentage bar|59.2}}
|{{percentage bar|5.7}}
|-
| 1945
|71,998
|{{percentage bar|36.8}}
|{{percentage bar|58.1}}
|{{percentage bar|5.1}}
|-
| 1950
|83,199
|{{percentage bar|35.4}}
|{{percentage bar|59.6}}
|{{percentage bar|4.9}}
|-
| 1955
|89,275
|{{percentage bar|33.4}}
|{{percentage bar|61.2}}
|{{percentage bar|5.3}}
|-
| 1960
|93,418
|{{percentage bar|30.2}}
|{{percentage bar|64.1}}
|{{percentage bar|5.7}}
|-
| 1965
|98,274
|{{percentage bar|25.7}}
|{{percentage bar|68.0}}
|{{percentage bar|6.3}}
|-
| 1970
|103,720
|{{percentage bar|24.0}}
|{{percentage bar|68.9}}
|{{percentage bar|7.1}}
|-
| 1975
|111,939
|{{percentage bar|24.3}}
|{{percentage bar|67.7}}
|{{percentage bar|7.9}}
|-
| 1980
|117,060
|{{percentage bar|23.5}}
|{{percentage bar|67.3}}
|{{percentage bar|9.1}}
|-
| 1985
|121,048
|{{percentage bar|21.5}}
|{{percentage bar|68.2}}
|{{percentage bar|10.3}}
|-
| 1990
|123,611
|{{percentage bar|18.2}}
|{{percentage bar|69.5}}
|{{percentage bar|12.0}}
|-
| 1995
|125,570
|{{percentage bar|15.9}}
|{{percentage bar|69.4}}
|{{percentage bar|14.5}}
|-
| 2000
|126,925
|{{percentage bar|14.6}}
|{{percentage bar|67.9}}
|{{percentage bar|17.3}}
|-
| 2005
|127,767
|{{percentage bar|13.7}}
|{{percentage bar|65.8}}
|{{percentage bar|20.1}}
|-
| 2010
|128,057
|{{percentage bar|13.2}}
|{{percentage bar|63.7}}
|{{percentage bar|23.1}}
|-
| 2015
|127,094
|{{percentage bar|12.6}}
|{{percentage bar|60.7}}
|{{percentage bar|26.6}}
|-
| 2020
|126,226
|{{percentage bar|12.0}}
|{{percentage bar|59.3}}
|{{percentage bar|28.8}}
|}
{{Wide image|Population Projections for Japan.svg|700px|Population projections for Japan ([[National Institute of Population and Social Security Research]], 2023)}}

<gallery widths="300px" heights="250px">
Population Pyramids of Japan (Projections 2065,IPSS).svg|alt=Population Pyramids of Japan 2065. (Middle-birth, Middle-death scenario case)|Population pyramids of Japan 2065 (middle-birth, middle-death scenario case)<ref name=ipss2017>{{Cite journal |title=日本の将来推計人口（平成29年推計） |publisher=National Institute of Population and Social Security Research |date=April 2017 |id=NAID 40021416334 |journal=Social Security Research |volume=2 |url=https://www.ipss.go.jp/pp-zenkoku/j/zenkoku2017/pp_zenkoku2017.asp |access-date=2023-05-02 |archive-date=2023-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607054413/https://www.ipss.go.jp/pp-zenkoku/j/zenkoku2017/pp_zenkoku2017.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
File:Japan_animated_population_pyramid.gif|Japan demographic transition 1888–2019
</gallery>
Japan's population is [[Ageing population|aging]] faster than that of any other nation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Japan's demography: The incredible shrinking country|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/03/japans-demography|access-date=14 January 2016|newspaper=The Economist|date=25 March 2014|archive-date=24 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170324183812/http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/03/japans-demography|url-status=live}}</ref> The population of those 65&nbsp;years or older roughly doubled in 24 years, from 7.1% of the population in 1970 to 14.1% in 1994. The same increase took 61 years in [[Demographics of Italy|Italy]], 85 years in [[Demographics of Sweden|Sweden]], and 115 years in [[Demographics of France|France]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Statistical Handbook of Japan|url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm|publisher=Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication|access-date=14 January 2016|date=2015|archive-date=13 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113221530/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/handbook/c0117.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2014, 26% of Japan's population was estimated to be 65&nbsp;years or older,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/1431-02.htm |title=Statistics Bureau Home Page/JAPAN STATISTICAL YEARBOOK 2016 – Chapter 2 Population and Households |website=Stat.go.jp |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2019-01-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106100507/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/1431-02.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Health and Welfare Ministry has estimated that over-65s will account for 40% of the population by 2060.<ref>{{cite news|title=Japan population to shrink by a third by 2060|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/30/japan-population-shrink-third|access-date=14 January 2016|work=The Guardian|date=30 January 2014|archive-date=21 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221212738/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jan/30/japan-population-shrink-third|url-status=live}}</ref> The demographic shift in Japan's age profile has triggered concerns about the nation's economic future and the viability of its welfare state.<ref>Hashimoto, Ryutaro (attributed). [http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/japan/socsec/aging.html General Principles Concerning Measures for the Aging Society] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722110050/http://www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/japan/socsec/aging.html |date=2011-07-22 }}. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 2011-3-5.</ref>

<gallery>
Japan sex by age 1888.png|1888
Japan sex by age 1920.png|1920 (1st national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1925.png|1925 (2nd national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1930.png|1930 (3rd national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1935.png|1935 (4th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1940.png|1940 (5th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1947.png|1947 (6th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1950.png|1950 (7th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1955.png|1955 (8th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1960.png|1960 (9th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1965.png|1965 (10th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1970.png|1970 (11th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1975.png|1975 (12th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1980.png|1980 (13th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1985.png|1985 (14th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1990.png|1990 (15th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 1995.png|1995 (16th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 2000.png|2000 (17th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 2005.png|2005 (18th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 2010.png|2010 (19th national census of population)
Japan sex by age 2015.png|2015 (20th national census of population)
Japan population pyramid 10.01.2019.png|2019 estimate
Live births and deaths of Japan (1946-2019).png|Live births and deaths of Japan (1946–2019)
</gallery>

===Population pyramids by prefecture===
<gallery mode="packed" widths="100" heights="80" caption="Population pyramids of Japan's prefectures in 2020">
File:Tokyo prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Tokyo
File:Nagasaki population pyramid in 2020.svg|Nagasaki
File:Hiroshima population pyramid in 2020.svg|Hiroshima
File:Hokkaido prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Hokkaido
File:Kyoto prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Kyoto
File:Aichi prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Aichi
File:Fukushima prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Fukushima
File:Osaka prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Osaka
File:Okinawa prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Okinawa
File:Aomori prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Aomori
File:Akita prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Akita
File:Chiba prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Chiba
File:Ibraki prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Ibaraki
File:Miyagi prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Miyagi
File:Yamagata prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Yamagata
File:Iwate prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Iwate
File:Fukuoka prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Fukuoka
File:Yamaguchi prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Yamaguchi
File:Saga prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Saga
File:Okayama prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Okayama
File:Toyama prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Toyama
File:Hyogo prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Hyogo
File:Ishikawa prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Ishikawa
File:Niigata prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Niigata
File:Fukui prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Fukui
File:Ehime prefecture population pyramid 2020.svg|Ehime
File:Tokushima prefecture population pyramid 2020.svg|Tokushima
File:Kagawa prefecture population pyramid 2020.svg|Kagawa
File:Miyazaki prefecture population pyramid 2020.svg|Miyazaki
File:Kumamoto prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Kumamoto
File:Kagoshima prefecture population pyramid 2020.svg|Kagoshima
File:Kochi prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Kochi
File:Yamanashi prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Yamanashi
File:Oita prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Oita
File:Kanagawa prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Kanagawa 
File:Shizuoka prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Shizuoka
File:Mie prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Mie 
File:Wakayama prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Wakayama
File:Saitama prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Saitama
File:Nara prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Nara
File:Tochigi prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Tochigi
File:Nagano prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Nagano
File:Gunma prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Gunma
File:Shiga prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Shiga
File:Gifu prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Gifu
File:Tottori prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Tottori
File:Shimane prefecture population pyramid in 2020.svg|Shimane 
</gallery>


{{Hidden begin|title=Population estimates by sex and age group (01.VII.2020) (Because of rounding, totals are not in all cases the sum of the respective components. Estimates or projections based on the 2015 population census.):<ref>{{cite web | url=https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dyb_2020/ | title=UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics | access-date=2022-06-13 | archive-date=2022-04-14 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414000805/https://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic-social/products/dyb/dyb_2020/ | url-status=live }}</ref>|titlestyle=background:#EEBC35;}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="80pt"|Age group
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80pt"|Female
! width="80pt"|Total
! width="80pt"|%
|-
| align="right" | Total
| align="right" | 61 226 000
| align="right" | 64 610 000 
| align="right" | 125 836 000
| align="right" | 100
|-
| align="right" | 0–4
| align="right" | 2 406 000
| align="right" | 2 288 000
| align="right" | 4 694 000
| align="right" | 3.73
|-
| align="right" | 5–9
| align="right" | 2 580 000 
| align="right" | 2 462 000
| align="right" | 5 042 000
| align="right" | 4.01
|-
| align="right" | 10–14
| align="right" | 2 736 000
| align="right" | 2 605 000
| align="right" | 5 341 000
| align="right" | 4.24
|-
| align="right" | 15–19
| align="right" | 2 932 000
| align="right" | 2 792 000
| align="right" | 5 724 000
| align="right" | 4.55
|-
| align="right" | 20–24
| align="right" | 3 298 000
| align="right" | 3 089 000
| align="right" | 6 386 000
| align="right" | 5.07
|-
| align="right" | 25–29
| align="right" | 3 240 000
| align="right" | 3 036 000
| align="right" | 6 275 000
| align="right" | 4.99
|-
| align="right" | 30–34
| align="right" | 3 391 000
| align="right" | 3 244 000
| align="right" | 6 635 000
| align="right" | 5.27
|-
| align="right" | 35–39
| align="right" | 3 767 000
| align="right" | 3 665 000
| align="right" | 7 432 000
| align="right" | 5.91
|-
| align="right" | 40–44
| align="right" | 4 289 000
| align="right" | 4 183 000
| align="right" | 8 472 000
| align="right" | 6.73
|-
| align="right" | 45–49
| align="right" | 4 954 000
| align="right" | 4 847 000
| align="right" | 9 801 000
| align="right" | 7.79
|-
| align="right" | 50–54
| align="right" | 4 353 000
| align="right" | 4 305 000
| align="right" | 8 658 000
| align="right" | 6.88
|-
| align="right" | 55–59
| align="right" | 3 905 000
| align="right" | 3 913 000
| align="right" | 7 818 000
| align="right" | 6.21
|-
| align="right" | 60–64
| align="right" | 3 674 000
| align="right" | 3 770 000
| align="right" | 7 443 000
| align="right" | 5.91
|-
| align="right" | 65–69
| align="right" | 4 047 000
| align="right" | 4 305 000
| align="right" | 8 351 000
| align="right" | 6.64
|-
| align="right" | 70–74
| align="right" | 4 288 000
| align="right" | 4 798 000
| align="right" | 9 086 000
| align="right" | 7.22
|-
| align="right" | 75–79
| align="right" | 3 193 000
| align="right" | 3 953 000
| align="right" | 7 145 000
| align="right" | 5.68
|-
| align="right" | 80–84
| align="right" | 2 239 000
| align="right" | 3 159 000
| align="right" | 5 398 000
| align="right" | 4.29
|-
| align="right" | 85–89
| align="right" | 1 323 000
| align="right" | 2 394 000
| align="right" | 3 717 000
| align="right" | 2.95
|-
| align="right" | 90–94
| align="right" | 506 000
| align="right" | 1 316 000
| align="right" | 1 822 000
| align="right" | 1.45
|-
| align="right" | 95–99
| align="right" | 97 000
| align="right" | 421 000
| align="right" | 519 000
| align="right" | 0.41
|-
| align="right" | 100+
| align="right" | 10 000
| align="right" | 66 000
| align="right" | 76 000
| align="right" | 0.06
|-
! width="50"|Age group 
! width="80pt"|Male
! width="80"|Female
! width="80"|Total
! width="50"|Percent
|-
| align="right" | 0–14
| align="right" | 7 722 000
| align="right" | 7 355 000
| align="right" | 15 077 000
| align="right" | 11.98
|-
| align="right" | 15–64
| align="right" | 37 801 000
| align="right" | 36 843 000
| align="right" | 74 644 000
| align="right" | 59.32
|-
| align="right" | 65+
| align="right" | 15 703 000
| align="right" | 20 412 000
| align="right" | 36 115 000
| align="right" | 28.70
|-
|}
{{Hidden end}}

=== Sex ratio ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Age<br />group
!2006!!2020
|-
|At birth||1.05||1.06
|-
|0–15||1.05||1.06
|-
|15–64||1.01||1.01
|-
|65+||0.73||0.78
|-
|Total||0.95||0.94
|}

==Vital statistics==
[[File:Live births and deaths of Japan.svg|thumb|Japanese birth and death rates since 1950.]]
[[File:Births and Total fertility rate of Japan.svg|thumb|Births and total fertility rate of Japan]]
===Statistics since 1873===
Source: [[National Institute of Population and Social Security Research]] (IPSS) and [[Statistics Bureau (Japan)|Statistics Bureau of Japan]]<ref>B.R. Mitchell. International historical statistics: Africa. Asia & Oceania 1750–2000.</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm#2001 |title=United Nations Statistics Division – Demographic and Social Statistics |website=Unstats.un.org |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2016-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227194033/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm#2001 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/getujidb/index.htm#b|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221022516/http://www.stat.go.jp/English/data/getujidb/index.htm|url-status=dead|title=Statistics Bureau Home Page/Japan Monthly Statistics|archivedate=February 21, 2012|website=www.stat.go.jp}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/stat-search/file-download?statInfId=000012680559&fileKind=0 | title=10k22-1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/stat-search/file-download?statInfId=000031526210&fileKind=0 | title=15k27-1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en/stat-search/file-download?statInfId=000032166839&fileKind=4 | title=a00100 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=－人口統計資料集(2004)－ |url=https://www.ipss.go.jp/syoushika/tohkei/Popular/P_Detail2004.asp?fname=01-02.htm |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.ipss.go.jp}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=人口統計資料集2023改訂版 |url=https://www.ipss.go.jp/syoushika/tohkei/Data/Popular2023RE/T03-01.htm |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.ipss.go.jp}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=－人口統計資料集(2023)改訂版－ |url=https://www.ipss.go.jp/syoushika/tohkei/Popular/P_Detail2023RE.asp?fname=T05-01.htm |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.ipss.go.jp}}</ref> Figures for 1947-1972 do not include [[Okinawa Prefecture]].

Notable events in Japanese demographics:
*1939-1945 – [[Second World War]]
*1947-1949 – [[Mid-20th-century baby boom|Post-World War II baby boom]]
*1948 – [[Abortion in Japan|Abortion act]] came into force
*1966 – [[Fire Horse#Births in 1966|Year of the Fire Horse]]

{{sticky-header}}{{sort under}}{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable sort-under sticky-header-multi" style="text-align:right;"
! rowspan="2" |Year
! rowspan="2" |Average<br />population<br>(Oct 1)
! rowspan="2" |Live births
! rowspan="2" |Deaths
! rowspan="2" |Natural<br />change
! colspan="4" |Crude rates (per 1000)
! rowspan="2" |Total<br />fertility<br />rate
{{refn|group=fn|In fertility rates, 2.1 and above is a stable population and have been marked blue, 2 and below leads to an aging population and a reducing population.}}<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>{{citation|url=https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate|title=Fertility Rate|author=Max Roser|date=2014|work=[[Our World In Data]], [[Gapminder Foundation]]|access-date=2018-07-21|archive-date=2020-11-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121073056/https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |date=2022-12-11 |title=Fertility rate: children per woman - Our World in Data |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/children-born-per-woman?tab=chart&country=~JPN |access-date=2025-05-16 |archive-date=2022-12-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221211183757/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/children-born-per-woman?tab=chart&country=~JPN |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>
! rowspan="2" |Net change
! rowspan="2" |Infant<br />mortality<br />rate<br />(per 1000<br />births)
! colspan="2" |Life expectancy<ref name="autogenerated1" />
|-
! Births
! Deaths
! Natural<br />change
! Migration
! Males
! Females
|-
|1873
|style="color: red" |34,806,000
|809,000
|660,694
|148,306
|23.1
|18.9
|4.3
|
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.41
|
|
|-
|1874
|34,985,000
|836,000
|696,653
|139,347
|23.8
|19.8
|4.0
|1.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.52
|179,000
|
|-
|1875
|35,316,000
|869,000
|654,562
|214,438
|24.6
|18.5
|6.1
|2.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.74
|331,000
|
|-
|1876
|35,555,000	
|903,000
|613,022
|289,978
|25.4
|17.2
|8.2
| -1.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.75
|239,000
|
|-
|1877
|35,870,000	
|891,000
|620,306
|270,694
|24.8
|17.3
|7.5
|0.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.67
|315,000
|
|-
|1878
|36,166,000	
|875,000
|603,277
|271,723
|24.2
|16.7
|7.5
|2.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.58
|296,000
|
|-
|1879
|36,464,000	
|877,000
|721,147
|155,853
|24.0
|19.8
|4.3
|3.6
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.55
|298,000
|
|-
|1880
|36,649,000	
|884,000
|style="text-align:right;color:blue;" |603,055
|281,945
|24.1
|16.5
|7.7
| -2.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.59
|185,000
|
|-
|1881
|36,965,000	
|941,000
|686,064
|254,936
|25.5
|18.6
|6.9
|1.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.77
|316,000
|
|-
|1882
|37,259,000
|923,000
|668,342
|254,658
|24.8
|17.9
|6.8
|1.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.67
|294,000
|
|-
|1883
|37,569,000	
|1,005,000
|676,369
|328,631
|26.8
|18.0
|8.7
| −1.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.96
|310,000
|
|-
|1884
|37,962,000	
|975,000
|705,126
|269,874
|25.7
|18.6
|7.1
|3.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.80
|393,000
|
|-
|1885
|38,313,000	
|1,025,000
|886,824
|138,176
|26.7
|23.1
|3.6
|1.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.98
|351,000
|
|-
|1886
|38,541,000	
|1,051,000
|938,343
|112,657
|27.3
|24.3
|2.9
|3.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.04
|228,000
|
|-
|1887
|38,703,000	
|1,058,000
|753,456
|304,544
|27.3
|19.5
|7.9
| −4.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.04
|162,000
|
|-
|1888
|39,029,000	
|1,173,000
|752,834
|420,166
|30.0
|19.3
|10.8
| −1.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.43
|326,000
|
|-
|1889
|39,473,000	
|1,210,000
|808,680
|401,320
|30.7
|20.5
|10.2
|1.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.54
|444,000
|
|-
|1890
|39,902,000	
|1,145,000
|823,718
|321,282
|28.7
|20.6
|8.1
|2.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.18
|429,000
| 
|-
|1891
|40,251,000	
|1,087,000
|853,139
|233,861
|27.0
|21.2
|5.8
|4.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.99
|349,000
|
|-
|1892
|40,508,000	
|1,207,000
|886,988
|320,012
|29.8
|21.9
|7.9
| −0.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.40
|257,000
|
|-
|1893
|40,860,000	
|1,178,000
|937,644
|240,356
|28.8
|22.9
|5.9
|4.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.26
|352,000
|
|-
|1894
|41,142,000	
|1,209,000
|840,768
|368,232
|29.4
|20.4
|8.9
| −1.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.35
|282,000
|
|-
|1895
|41,557,000	
|1,246,000
|852,422
|393,578
|30.0
|20.5
|9.5
|1.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.36
|415,000
|
|-
|1896
|41,992,000
|1,282,000||912,822||369,178
|30.5||21.7||8.8
|3.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.51
|435,000
|
|-
|1897
|42,400,000	
|1,334,000||876,837||457,163
|31.5||20.7||10.8
| −1.9
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.66
|408,000
|
|-
|1898
|42,886,000	
|1,370,000||894,524||475,476
|31.9||20.9||11.1
|0.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.72
|486,000
|
|-
| 1899
|43,400,000
|1,386,981||932,087||454,894
|32.0||21.5||10.5
|1.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.73
|514,000
|153.8
| ||
|-
| 1900
|43,847,000
|1,420,534||910,744||509,790
|32.4||20.8||11.6
| −1.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.69
|447,000
|155.0
| ||
|-
| 1901
|44,359,000
|1,501,591||925,810||575,781
|33.9||20.9||13.0
| −1.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.01
|512,100
|149.9
| ||
|-
| 1902
|44,964,000
|1,510,853||959,126||551,709
|33.6||21.3||12.3
| 1.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.97
|605,000
|154.0
| ||
|-
| 1903
|45,546,000
|1,489,816||931,008||558,808
|32.0||20.0||13.5
| 0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.83
|582,000
|152.4
| ||
|-
| 1904
|46,135,000
|1,440,371||955,400||484,971
|30.6||21.2||10.7
| 2.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.61
|589,000
|151.9
| ||
|-
| 1905
|46,620,000
|1,452,770||1,004,661||448,109
|30.6||21.9||10.1
| 0.8
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.52
|485,000
|151.7
| ||
|-
| 1906
|47,038,000
|1,394,295||955,256||439,039
|29.0||20.0||10.6
| −0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.38
|418,000
|153.6
| ||
|-
| 1907
|47,416,000
|1,614,472||1,016,798||597,674
|33.2||21.0||13.9
| −4.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.03
|378,000
|151.3
| ||
|-
| 1908
|47,965,000
|1,662,815||1,029,447||633,368
|33.7||20.9||14.5
| −1.8
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.13
|549,000
|158.0
| ||
|-
| 1909
|48,554,000
|1,693,850||1,091,264||602,586
|33.9||21.9||13.8
| −0.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.16
|589,000
|167.3
| ||
|-
| 1910
|49,184,000
|1,712,857||1,064,234||648,623
|33.9||21.1||14.5
| −0.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.01
|630,000
|161.2
| ||
|-
| 1911
|49,852,000
|1,747,803||1,043,906||703,897
|34.1||20.4||15.5
| −0.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.19
|668,000
|158.4
| ||
|-
| 1912
|50,577,000
|1,737,674||1,037,016||700,658
|33.4||20.0||15.3
| −0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.08
|725,000
|154.2
| ||
|-
| 1913
|51,305,000
|1,757,441||1,027,257||730,184
|33.3||19.5||15.6
| 0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.07
|728,000
|152.1
| ||
|-
| 1914
|52,039,000
|1,808,402||1,101,815||706,587
|33.8||20.6||14.9
| 0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.14
|734,000
|158.5
| ||
|-
| 1915
|52,752,000
|1,799,326||1,093,793||705,533
|33.2||20.2||14.4
| 0.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.91
|713,000
|160.4
| ||
|-
| 1916
|53,496,000
|1,804,822||1,187,832||616,990
|32.9||21.6||12.7
| 2.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.98
|744,000
|170.3
| ||
|-
| 1917
|54,134,000
|1,812,413||1,199,669||612,744
|32.7||21.6||12.5
| 0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.95
|738,000
|173.2
| ||
|-
| 1918
|54,739,000
|1,791,992||1,493,162||298,830
|32.2||26.7||6.4
| 5.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.83
|605,000
|188.6
| ||
|-
| 1919
|55,033,000
|1,778,685||1,281,965||496,720
|31.6||22.8||10.2
| −3.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" | 4.77
|294,000
|170.5
| ||
|-
| 1920
|55,963,053
|2,025,564||1,422,096||603,468
| style="color: blue" |36.2||25.4||12.0
| 5.9
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" | 5.35
|930,053
|165.7
| ||
|-
| 1921
|56,666,000
|1,990,876||1,288,570||702,306
|35.1||22.7||12.4
| 0.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" | 5.22
|702,947
|168.3
| ||
|-
| 1922
|57,390,000
|1,969,314||1,286,941||682,373
|34.3||22.4||11.9
| 0.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.12
|724,000
|166.4
| ||
|-
| 1923
|58,119,000
|2,043,297||1,332,485||710,812
|35.2||22.9||12.2
| 0.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.26
|729,000
|163.4
| ||
|-
| 1924
|58,876,000
|1,998,520||1,254,946||743,574
|33.9||21.3||12.6
| 0.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.07
|757,000
|156.2
| ||
|-
| 1925
|59,736,822
|2,086,091||1,210,706||875,395
|34.9||20.3||14.5
| −0.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.10
|860,822
|142.4
| ||
|-
| 1926
|60,741,000
|2,104,405||1,160,734||943,671
|34.6||19.1||15.5
| 1.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.19
|1,004,178
|137.5
| ||
|-
| 1927
|61,659,300
|2,060,737||1,214,323||846,414
|33.4||19.7||13.7
| 1.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.00
|918,000
|141.6
| ||
|-
| 1928
|62,595,300
|2,135,852||1,236,711||899,141
|34.1||19.8||14.4
| 0.6
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |5.09
|936,000
|136.7
| ||
|-
| 1929
|63,461,000
|2,077,026||1,261,228||815,798
|32.7||19.9||12.9
| 0.8
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.87
|866,000
|142.1
| ||
|-
| 1930
|64,450,005
|2,085,101||1,170,867||914,234
|32.4||18.2||14.2
| 1.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.70
|989,005
|124.1
| ||
|-
| 1931
|65,457,500
|2,102,784||1,240,891||861,893
|32.1||19.0||13.2
| 2.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.76
|1,006,995
|131.5
| ||
|-
| 1932
|66,433,800
|2,182,742||1,175,344||1,007,398
|32.9||17.7||15.2
| −0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.86
|343,000
|117.5
| ||
|-
| 1933
|67,431,600
|2,121,253||1,193,987||927,266
|31.5||17.7||13.8
| 1.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.63
|990,000
|121.3
| ||
|-
| 1934
|68,308,900
|2,043,783||1,234,684||809,099
|29.9||18.1||11.9
| 1.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.39
|890,000
|124.8
| ||
|-
| 1935
|69,254,148
|2,190,704||1,161,936||1,028,768
|31.6||16.8||14.9
| −1.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.59
|574,148
|106.7
| ||
|-
| 1936
|70,113,600
|2,101,969||1,230,278||871,691
|30.0||17.5||12.4
| −0.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.34
|345,852
|116.7
|46.92||49.63
|-
| 1937
|70,630,400
|2,180,734||1,207,899||972,835
|30.9||17.1||13.7
| −6.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.45
|770,000
|105.8
| ||
|-
| 1938
|71,012,600
|1,928,321||1,259,805||668,516
|27.2||17.7||9.4
| −4.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.88
|230,000
|114.4
| ||
|-
| 1939
|71,379,700
|1,901,573||1,268,760||632,813
|26.6||17.8||8.8
| −3.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.80
|340,000
|106.2
| ||
|-
| 1940
|71,993,000
|2,115,867||1,186,595||929,272
|29.4||16.4||12.9
| −4.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.11
|2,184,308
|90.0
| ||
|-
| 1941
|71,678,000
|2,277,283||1,149,559||1,127,724
|31.1||15.7||15.4
| style="color: red"|−20.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.36
| style="text-align:right;color:red;" |−364,308
|84.1
| ||
|-
| 1942
|72,386,000
|2,233,660||1,166,630||1,067,030
|30.3||15.8||14.4
| −5.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.18
|700,000
|85.5
| ||
|-
| 1943
|72,887,700
|2,253,535||1,213,811||1,039,724
|30.3||16.3||13.9
| −7.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.11
|530,000
|86.6
| ||
|-
| 1944
|73,064,000
|2,149,843||1,279,639||870,204
|29.2||17.4||11.8
| −9.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.95
| style="text-align:right;color:red;" |−115,000
|
| ||
|-
| 1945
|71,998,104
|1,685,583
| style="text-align:right;color:red;" |2,113,798
| style="color: red" | -428,215
|23.2|| style="color: red" |29.2|| style="color: red" |−5.9
| −8.7
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.11
| style="text-align:right;color:red;" |−1,866,896
|
| ||
|-
| 1946
|73,114,000
|1,905,809||1,326,592||579,217
|25.3||17.6||7.7
| 7.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.37
|3,301,896
|
| ||
|-
| 1947
|78,101,000
|2,678,792||1,138,238||1,540,554
|34.3||14.6||19.7
|style="color: blue"| 47.1
| style="text-align:right;color:blue;" |4.541
|2,725,000
|76.7
|50.06||53.96
|-
| 1948
|80,002,500
|2,681,624||950,610||1,731,014
|33.7||12.0||style="color:blue;" |21.8
| 2.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.400
|1,475,000
|61.7
|55.6||59.4
|-
| 1949
|81,772,600
| style="text-align:right;color:blue;" |2,696,638
|945,444||style="color:blue;" |1,751,194
|33.2||11.6||21.5
| 0.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.316
|1,800,000
|62.5
|56.2||59.8
|-
| 1950
|83,199,637
|2,337,507||904,876||1,432,631
|28.2||10.9||17.3
| −0.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.650
|1,899,637
|60.1
|58.0||61.5
|-
| 1951
|84,541,000
|2,137,689||838,998||1,298,691
|25.4||10.0||15.4
| 0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.262
|1,035,363
|57.5
|59.57||62.97
|-
| 1952
|85,808,000
|2,005,162||765,068||1,240,094
|23.5||8.9||14.5
| 0.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.976
|1,268,000
|49.4
|61.9||65.5
|-
| 1953
|86,981,000
|1,868,040||772,547||1,095,493
|21.5||8.9||12.6
| 0.9
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.695
|1,192,000
|48.9
|61.9||65.7
|-
| 1954
|88,239,000
|1,769,580||721,491||1,048,089
|20.1||8.2||11.9
| 2.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.481
|1,281,000
|44.6
|63.41||67.69
|-
| 1955
|89,275,529
|1,730,692||693,523||1,037,169
|19.4||7.8||11.7
| 0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.370
|1,299,529
|39.8
|63.60||67.75
|-
| 1956
|90,172,000
|1,665,278||724,460||940,818
|18.5||8.1||10.5
| −0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.223
|677,471
|40.6
|63.59||67.54
|-
| 1957
|90,928,000
|1,566,713||752,445||814,268
|17.3||8.3||9.0
| −0.6
|2.043
|781,000
|40.0
|63.24||67.60
|-
| 1958
|91,767,000
|1,653,469||684,189||969,280
|18.1||7.5||10.6
| −1.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.110
|812,000
|34.5
|64.98||69.61
|-
| 1959
|92,641,000
|1,626,088||689,959||936,129
|17.6||7.5||10.1
| −0.7
|2.039
|888,000
|33.7
|65.21||69.88
|-
| 1960
|93,418,501
|1,606,041||706,599||899,442
|17.3||7.6||9.7
| −1.3
|2.004
|984,501
|30.7
|65.32||70.19
|-
| 1961
|94,287,000
|1,589,372||695,644||893,728
|17.0||7.4||9.6
| −0.3
|1.961
|1,524,499
|28.6
|66.03||70.79
|-
| 1962
|95,181,000
|1,618,616||710,265||908,351
|17.1||7.5||9.6
| −0.2
|1.976
|889,000
|26.4
|66.23||71.16
|-
| 1963
|96,156,000
|1,659,521
|670,770
|988,751
|17.4||7.0||10.4
| −0.1
|2.005
|980,000
|23.2
|67.21||72.34
|-
| 1964
|97,182,000
|1,716,761||673,067||1,043,694
|17.8||6.9||10.8
| −0.2
|2.049
|1,014,000
|20.4
|67.67||72.87
|-
| 1965
|98,274,961
|1,823,697||700,438||1,123,259
|18.7||7.1||11.5
| −0.3
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.139
|448,961
|18.5
|67.74||72.92
|-
| 1966
|99,036,000
|1,360,974
|670,342
|690,632
|13.8||6.8||7.1
| 0.7
|1.578
|1,515,039
|19.3
|68.35||73.61
|-
| 1967
|100,196,000
|1,935,647||675,006||1,260,641
|19.4||6.7||12.7
| −1.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.226
|935,000
|14.9
|68.91||74.15
|-
| 1968
|101,331,000
|1,871,839||686,555||1,185,284
|18.5||6.8||11.8
| −0.5
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.134
|1,336,000
|15.3
|69.05||74.30
|-
| 1969
|102,536,000
|1,889,815||693,787||1,196,028
|18.5||6.8||11.7
| 0.1
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.131
|1,111,000
|14.2
|69.18||74.67
|-
| 1970
|103,720,060
|1,934,239||712,962||1,221,277
|18.7||6.9||11.9
| −0.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.135
|548,060
|13.1
|69.31||74.66
|-
| 1971
|105,145,000
|2,000,973||684,521||1,316,452
|19.1||6.5||12.6
| 1.0
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.157
|1,976,940
|12.4
|70.17||75.58
|-
| 1972
|107,595,000
|2,038,682||683,751||1,354,931
|19.2||6.4||12.8
| 10.4
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.142
|1,491,000
|11.7
|70.50||75.94
|-
| 1973
|109,104,000
|2,091,983||709,416||1,382,567
|19.2||6.5||12.7
| 1.2
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |2.140
|1,521,000
|11.3
|70.70||76.02
|-
| 1974
|110,573,000
|2,029,989||710,510||1,319,479
|18.4||6.4||12.0
| 1.4
|2.049
|1,453,000
|10.8
|71.16||76.31
|-
| 1975
|111,939,643
|1,901,440||702,275||1,199,165
|17.0||6.3||10.7
| 1.5
|1.909
|1,777,643
|10.0
|71.73||76.89
|-
| 1976
|113,094,000
|1,832,617||703,270||1,129,347
|16.3||6.2||10.0
| 0.2
|1.852
|835,357
|9.3
|72.15||77.35
|-
| 1977
|114,165,000
|1,755,100||690,074||1,065,026
|15.4||6.1||9.4
| 0.1
|1.800
|1,097,000
|8.9
|72.69||77.95
|-
| 1978
|115,190,000
|1,708,643||695,821||1,012,822
|14.9||6.1||8.8
| 0.1
|1.792
|662,000
|8.4
|72.97||78.33
|-
| 1979
|116,155,000
|1,642,580||689,664||952,916
|14.2|| style="color: blue" |6.0||8.2
| 0.1
|1.769
|962,000
|7.9
|73.46||78.89
|-
| 1980
|117,060,396
|1,576,889||722,801||854,088
|13.6||6.2||7.3
| 0.4
|1.747
|1,104,396
|7.5
|73.35||78.76
|-
| 1981
|117,902,000
|1,529,455||720,262||809,193
|13.0||6.1||6.9
| 0.3
|1.741
|621,604
|7.1
|73.79||79.13
|-
| 1982
|118,728,000
|1,515,392||711,883||803,509
|12.8||6.0||6.8
| 0.2
|1.770
|821,000
|6.6
|74.22||79.66
|-
| 1983
|119,536,000
|1,508,687||740,038||768,649
|12.7||6.2||6.5
| 0.3
|1.800
|796,000
|6.2
|74.20||79.78
|-
| 1984
|120,305,000
|1,489,780||740,247||749,533
|12.5||6.2||6.3
| 0.2
|1.811
|654,000
|6.0
|74.54||80.18
|-
| 1985
|121,049,000
|1,431,577||752,283||679,294
|11.9||6.3||5.6
| 0.5
|1.764
|755,923
|5.5
|74.78||80.48
|-
| 1986
|121,660,000
|1,382,946||750,620||632,326
|11.4||6.2||5.2
| −0.2
|1.723
|670,077
|5.2
|75.23||80.93
|-
| 1987
|122,239,000
|1,346,658||751,172||595,486
|11.1||6.2||4.9
| −0.1
|1.690
|863,000
|5.0
|75.61||81.39
|-
| 1988
|122,745,000
|1,314,006||793,014||520,992
|10.8||6.5||4.3
| −0.1
|1.656
|565,000
|4.8
|75.54||81.30
|-
| 1989
|123,205,000
|1,246,802||788,594||458,208
|10.2||6.4||3.7
| 0
|1.572
|609,000
|4.6
|75.91||81.77
|-
| 1990
|123,611,000
|1,221,585||820,305||401,280
|10.0||6.7||3.3
| 0
|1.543
|455,167
|4.6
|75.92||81.90
|-
| 1991
|124,101,000
|1,223,245||829,797||393,448
|9.9||6.7||3.2
| 0.8
|1.533
|511,833
|4.4
|76.11||82.11
|-
| 1992
|124,567,000
|1,208,989||856,643||352,346
|9.8||6.9||2.9
| 0.9
|1.502
|453,000
|4.5
|76.09||82.22
|-
| 1993
|124,928,000
|1,188,282||878,532||309,750
|9.6||7.1||2.5
| 0.4
|1.458
|431,000
|4.3
|76.25||82.51
|-
| 1994
|125,265,000
|1,238,328||875,933||362,395
|10.0||7.1||2.9
| −0.2
|1.500
|452,000
|4.2
|76.57||82.98
|-
| 1995
|125,570,000
|1,187,064||922,139||264,925
|9.6||7.4||2.2
| 0.3
|1.423
|213,000
|4.3
|76.38||82.85
|-
| 1996
|125,859,000
|1,206,555||896,211||310,344
|9.7||7.2||2.5
| −0.2
|1.425
|285,000
|3.8
|77.01||83.59
|-
| 1997
|126,157,000
|1,191,665||913,402||278,263
|9.5||7.3||2.2
| 0.2
|1.388
|300,000
|3.7
|77.19||83.82
|-
| 1998
|126,472,000
|1,203,147||936,484||266,663
|9.6||7.5||2.1
| 0.4
|1.384
|343,000
|3.6
|77.16||84.01
|-
| 1999
|126,767,000
|1,177,669||982,031||195,638
|9.4||7.8||1.6
| 0.8
|1.342
|231,000
|3.4
|77.10||83.99
|-
| 2000
|127,076,000
|1,190,547||961,653||228,894
|9.5||7.7||1.8
| 0.6
|1.359
|212,000
|3.2
|77.72||84.60
|-
| 2001
|127,291,000
|1,170,662||970,331||200,331
|9.3||7.7||1.6
| 0.1
|1.334
|306,000
|3.1
|78.07||84.93
|-
| 2002
|127,435,000
|1,153,855||982,379||171,476
|9.2||7.8||1.4
| −0.2
|1.319
|296,000
|3.0
|78.32||85.23
|-
| 2003
|127,619,000
|1,123,610||1,014,951||108,659
|8.9||8.0||0.9
| 0.6
|1.291
|273,000
|3.0
|78.36||85.33
|-
| 2004
|127,687,000
|1,110,721||1,028,602||82,119
|8.8||8.2||0.6
| −0.1
|1.289
|43,000
|2.8
|78.64||85.59
|-
| 2005
|127,768,000
|1,062,530||1,083,796|| style="color: red" |−21,266
|8.4||8.6|| style="color: red" |−0.2
| 0.8
| 1.260
|12,000
|2.8
|78.56||85.52
|-
| 2006
|127,901,000
|1,092,674||1,084,451||8,223
|8.7||8.6||0.1
| −0.0
|1.317
|81,000
|2.6
|79.00||85.81
|-
| 2007
|128,033,000
|1,089,818||1,108,334|| style="color: red" |−18,516
|8.6||8.8|| style="color: red" |−0.2
| 0.2
|1.337
|147,000
|2.6
|79.19||85.99
|-
| 2008
| style="color: blue" |128,084,000
|1,091,156||1,142,407|| style="color: red" |−51,251
|8.7||9.1|| style="color: red" |−0.4
| −0.2
|1.367
|62,000
|2.6
|79.29||86.05
|-
| 2009
| 128,032,000
|1,070,036||1,141,865|| style="color: red" |−71,829
|8.5||9.1|| style="color: red" |−0.6
| −0.9
|1.368
| style="color: red" | −52,000
|2.4
|79.59||86.44
|-
| 2010
|128,057,352
|1,071,305||1,197,014|| style="color: red" |−125,709
|8.5||9.5|| style="color: red" |−1.0
| 1.4
|1.387
| 25,352
|2.3
|79.64||86.39
|-
| 2011
| 127,834,000
|1,050,807||1,253,068|| style="color: red" |−202,261
|8.3||9.9|| style="color: red" |−1.6
| −0.4
|1.393
| style="color: red" | −222,648
|2.3
|79.44||85.90
|-
| 2012
| 127,593,000
|1,037,232||1,256,359|| style="color: red" |−219,127
|8.2||10.0|| style="color: red" |−1.8
| −0.4
|1.405
| style="color: red" | −241,000
|2.2
|79.93 ||86.37
|-
| 2013
| 127,414,000
|1,029,817||1,268,438|| style="color: red" |−238,621
|8.2||10.1|| style="color: red" |−1.9
| 1.7
|1.427
| style="color: red" | −179,000
|2.1
|80.19 ||86.56
|-
| 2014
| 127,237,000
|1,003,609||1,273,025|| style="color: red" |−269,416
|8.0||10.1|| style="color: red" |−2.1
| 2.0
|1.423
| style="color: red" | −177,000
|2.1
|80.48 ||86.77
|-
| 2015
| 127,094,745
|1,005,721||1,290,510|| style="color: red" |−284,789
|8.0||10.3|| style="color: red" |−2.3
| 1.0
|1.451
| style="color: red" | −142,245
|1.9
|80.75 ||86.98
|-
| 2016 
| 127,042,000
|977,242||1,308,158|| style="color: red" |−330,916
|7.8||10.5|| style="color: red" |−2.7
| 1.2
|1.442
| style="color: red" | −52,745
|2.0
|80.98 ||87.14
|-
| 2017 
| 126,919,000
|946,146||1,340,567|| style="color: red" |−394,421
|7.6||10.8|| style="color: red" |−3.2
| 2.1
|1.428
| style="color: red" | −123,000
|1.9
|81.09 ||87.26
|-
| 2018
| 126,749,000
|918,397||1,362,482|| style="color: red" |−444,085
|7.4||11.0|| style="color: red" |−3.6
| 3.0
|1.416
| style="color: red" | −170,000
|1.9
|81.25||87.32
|-
|2019 
| 126,555,000
|865,239||1,381,093|| style="color: red" |−515,854
|7.0||11.2|| style="color: red" |−4.2
| 1.8
|1.361
| style="color: red" | −194,000
|1.9
|81.41||87.45
|-
|2020
| 126,146,099
|840,832
|1,372,648|| style="color: red" |−531,816
|6.8||11.1|| style="color: red" |−4.3
| 1.0
|1.330
| style="color: red" | −408,901
|1.8
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |81.64
| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |87.74
|-
|2021
| 125,502,000
|811,604
|1,439,809 || style="color: red" |−628,205
||6.6||11.7|| style="color: red" |−5.1
| 2.3
|1.303
| style="color: red" | −644,099
|1.7
|81.47||87.57
|-
|2022
| 124,947,000
 | 770,759
|| 1,569,050 || style="color: red" |−798,291
|6.1||12.5|| style="color: red" |−6.4
| 1.9
|1.257
| style="color: red" | −555,000
|1.8
|80.74||86.88
|-
| 2023 
| 124,352,000
| | 727,277|| 1,575,936 || style="color: red" |−848,659
|  5.8
| 12.7
|  style="color: red" |−6.9
| 0.9
| 1.201
| style="color: red" | −595,000
|1.8
|81.09||87.14
|-
|2024 
| 123,802,000
| style="color: red" |686,061|| 1,605,298|| style="color: red" |−919,237
|  style="color: red" |5.5
|style="color: red" | 12.9
|  style="color: red" |−7.5
| 3.0
| 1.148
| style="color: red" | −550,000
|1.8
|81.09
|87.13
|-
|2025
|123,210,000
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|style="color: red" | 1.12(e)
|style="color: red" | –592,000
|
|
|
|}

=== Current vital statistics ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+
|-
! Period
! Live births
! Deaths
! Natural increase
|-
| '''January—October 2024'''
| 603,638
| 1,328,678
| −725,040
|-
| '''January—October 2025'''
| 588,274
| 1,326,178
| −737,904
|-
| '''Difference'''
| {{decrease}} −15,364 (−2.5%)
| {{decreasepositive}} –2,500 (–0.2%)
| {{decrease}} −12,864
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align: center;" | '''Source:'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dashboard.e-stat.go.jp/en/dataSearch|title=Statistic Dashboard Data search|website=Portal site of Official Statistics of Japan|access-date=2020-08-03|archive-date=2021-01-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124225650/https://dashboard.e-stat.go.jp/en/dataSearch|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&toukei=00450011&bunya_l=02&tstat=000001028897|title=人口動態調査 &#124; ファイル &#124; 統計データを探す|website=www.e-stat.go.jp|access-date=2021-03-23|archive-date=2023-04-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410032428/https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&toukei=00450011&bunya_l=02&tstat=000001028897|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}
To be revised. The preliminary figures represent the total number of submitted questionnaires and include events pertaining to Japanese nationals residing in Japan, foreign nationals residing in Japan, Japanese nationals residing overseas. A summary focusing solely on 'Japanese nationals residing in Japan,' with slight revisions added, constitutes the official vital statistics (final counts).

===Total fertility rate by prefecture===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ 2024<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/geppo/nengai22/dl/h8.pdf |title=人口動態総覧 |access-date=2024-01-17}}</ref>
!Prefecture
!TFR
|-
|{{flag|Tokyo}}
|0.95
|-
|{{flag|Hokkaido}}
|1.01
|-
|{{flag|Miyagi}}
|1.03
|-
|{{flag|Akita}}
|1.06
|-
|{{flag|Kyoto}}
|1.07
|-
|{{flagicon|Kanagawa}} [[Kanagawa]]
|1.09
|-
|{{flag|Saitama}}
|1.10
|-
|{{flag|Chiba}}
|1.10
|-
|{{flag|Iwate}}
|1.12
|-
|{{flag|Osaka}}
|1.15
|-
|{{flag|Tochigi}}
|1.15
|-
|'''{{flag|Japan}}'''
|1.15
|-
|{{flag|Nara}}
|1.17
|-
|{{flag|Fukushima}}
|1.17
|-
|{{flag|Ibaraki}}
|1.18
|-
|{{flag|Yamagata}}
|1.18
|-
|{{flag|Aomori}}
|1.19
|-
|{{flag|Niigata}}
|1.19
|-
|{{flag|Gunma}}
|1.21
|-
|{{flag|Shizuoka}}
|1.21
|-
|{{flag|Fukuoka}}
|1.22
|-
|{{flag|Hyogo}}
|1.25
|-
|{{flag|Aichi}}
|1.25
|-
|{{flag|Mie}}
|1.25
|-
|{{flag|Kochi}}
|1.26
|-
|{{flag|Gifu}}
|1.27
|-
|{{flag|Ehime}}
|1.27
|-
|{{flag|Okayama}}
|1.28
|-
|{{flag|Yamanashi}}
|1.28
|-
|{{flag|Wakayama}}
|1.29
|-
|{{flag|Hiroshima}}
|1.29
|-
|{{flag|Ishikawa}}
|1.30
|-
|{{flag|Nagano}}
|1.30
|-
|{{flag|Toyama}}
|1.31
|-
|{{flag|Tokushima}}
|1.32
|-
|{{flag|Shiga}}
|1.34
|-
|{{flag|Oita}}
|1.35
|-
|{{flag|Kagawa}}
|1.36
|-
|{{flag|Yamaguchi}}
|1.36
|-
|{{flag|Tottori}}
|1.40
|-
|{{flag|Fukui}}
|1.42
|-
|{{flag|Shimane}}
|1.42
|-
|{{flag|Saga}}
|1.42
|-
|{{flag|Kumamoto}}
|1.43
|-
|{{flag|Kagoshima}}
|1.44
|-
|{{flag|Nagasaki}}
|1.45
|-
|{{flag|Miyazaki}}
|1.45
|-
|{{flag|Okinawa}}
|1.56
|}
[[file:Path1693-1-8.png|thumb|The map of total fertility rates by prefecture in 1925 shows a clear trend of lower fertility in the west and higher in the east.|right]]
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) exhibits notable regional disparities across Japan's [[Prefectures of Japan|prefectures]]. Historically, [[Tohoku]] and [[Hokkaido|Hokkaido regions]] have maintained the highest TFR, while [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] and [[Kyushu]] regions have generally recorded the lowest. 
[[File:Map of East Asia by TFR in 2021.png|thumb|Map of East Asia by [[total fertility rate]] (TFR) in 2021. Japan's TFR in 2012 was estimated at 1.41 children per woman, increasing slightly from 1.32 in the 2001–05 period. In 2012, the highest TFR was 1.90, in [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], and the lowest was 1.09, in [[Tokyo]]. TFR by [[Prefectures of Japan|prefecture]] for 2000–05, as well as future estimates, have been released.<ref>{{cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.ipss.go.jp/webj-ad/webjournal.files/population/2011_Vol.9/Web%20Journal_Vol.9_01.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420060214/http://www.ipss.go.jp/webj-ad/WebJournal.files/population/2011_Vol.9/Web%20Journal_Vol.9_01.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-20 |access-date=2012-03-09}}</ref>]]
However in the 1970s, [[Akita Prefecture]] registered the nation's lowest rate (1.88, compared to Tokyo's 1.96). In recent years, this pattern has largely persisted. As of 2021, Okinawa Prefecture led the nation with a TFR of 1.80, followed by [[Kagoshima]] and [[Miyazaki Prefecture|Miyazaki Prefectures]]. Conversely, Tokyo Metropolis recorded the lowest TFR at 1.08, with Miyagi Prefecture and Hokkaido following<ref>{{Cite web |last=MHLW |title=Vital statistics (crude rates) by prefectures |url=https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/geppo/nengai21/dl/h9.pdf}}</ref>.

The specific causes underlying these regional variations in birth rates are complex and not fully elucidated<ref>{{Cite web |title=Q17 少子化の動向や取組は地域別に見るとどのようなことが言えますか｜選択する未来 - 内閣府 |url=https://www5.cao.go.jp/keizai-shimon/kaigi/special/future/sentaku/s3_3_17.html |access-date=2025-12-14 |website=内閣府ホームページ |language=ja}}</ref>. For instance, the contrast between the high birth rates observed in the [[Kyushu]] and Okinawa regions and the low rates in [[Hokkaido]] and [[Tōhoku region|Tōhoku]] is often attributed to a combination of socio-economic and cultural factors. These include the prevalence of living with or near parents (multi-generational households), regional values concerning childbirth and child-rearing, and specific local traditions<ref>{{Cite web |title=少子化対策をめぐる不都合な（？）真実 |url=https://www.nli-research.co.jp/report/detail/id=76757 |access-date=2025-12-14 |website=ニッセイ基礎研究所 |language=ja}}</ref>.

In large urban areas, including the [[Greater Tokyo Area|Tokyo metropolitan area]] and other [[Designated city|designated cities]], the average age at first marriage and the average age at first birth are significantly higher than the respective prefectural and national averages. This delay in life milestones is considered a primary contributor to the lower birth rates observed in these regions.
Furthermore, the rate of college graduates, particularly for women, is typically higher in these urban centers. This leads to an observed negative correlation between TFR and college graduates rates, suggesting that higher educational attainment is associated with lower fertility rates at the regional level.
{{Wide image|都道府県別合計特殊出生率.png|700px|Total Fertility Rate by Prefecture, 2000 to 2021}}

=== Total fertility rate===
====Total Fertility rate before 1873====
[[File:Total fertility rate of Japan overtime to 2016.svg|thumb|TFR of Japan over time to 2016]]
Source: [[Our World in Data|Our world in data]]<ref name="auto2"/>

The total fertility rate (TFR) in Japan before 1873 fluctuated, but several estimates for the period of the early to mid-19th century range from around 3.6 to 4.8 children per woman. During the 17th and 18th centuries, local studies suggest TFR was even lower in some areas, with completed family sizes often averaging 3 to 4 children.
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1800!!1801!!1802!!1803!!1804!!1805!!1806!!1807!!1808!!1809!!1810
|-
| align="left" |Total Fertility Rate in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.08|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.11 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.14|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.17|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.20|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.22|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.25|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.28|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.31|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.34|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.37
|}
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1811!!1812!!1813!!1814!!1815!!1816!!1817!!1818!!1819!!1820
|-
| align="left" |Total Fertility Rate in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.00|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.43 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.43|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.44|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.44|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.45|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.45|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.45|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.46|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.46
|}
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1821!!1822!!1823!!1824!!1825!!1826!!1827!!1828!!1829!!1830
|-
| align="left" |Total Fertility Rate in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.47|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.47 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.48|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.48|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.48|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.49|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.49|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.50|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.50|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.51
|}
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1831!!1832!!1833!!1834!!1835!!1836!!1837!!1838!!1839!!1840
|-
| align="left" |Total Fertility Rate in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.51|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.51 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.52|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.52|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.53|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.53|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.54|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.54|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.55|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.56
|}
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1841!!1842!!1843!!1844!!1845!!1846!!1847!!1848!!1849!!1850
|-
| align="left" |Total Fertility Rate in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.58|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.59 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.60|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.61|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.62|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.64|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.65|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.66|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.67|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.68
|}
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1851!!1852!!1853!!1854!!1855!!1856!!1857!!1858!!1859!!1860
|-
| align="left" |Total Fertility Rate in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.70|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.71 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.72|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.73|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.74|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.76|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.77|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.78|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.79|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.80
|}
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1861!!1862!!1863!!1864!!1865!!1866!!1867!!1868!!1869!!1870
|-
| align="left" |[[Total Fertility Rate]] in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.82|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.83 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.84|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.70|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.55|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.41|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.27|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |4.13|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.98|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.84
|}
{| class="wikitable " style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1871!!1872!!1873
|-
| align="left" |Total Fertility Rate in Japan|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.70|| style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.56 || style="text-align:right; color:blue;" |3.41
|}
In 2023, Japan's total fertility rate was 1.20, among the lowest in the world and far below the replacement rate of 2.1.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-12 |title=Japan's Fertility Rate Drops to New Record Low |url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02015/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=nippon.com |language=en}}</ref> In January 2023, Japanese Prime Minister [[Fumio Kishida]] pledged to take urgent steps to tackle the country's declining birth rate, calling it "now or never" for Japan's aging society; he had planned to double the budget for child-related policies by June 2023 and to set up a new government agency in April.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-23 |title=Japan PM Kishida: it's 'now or never' to stop shrinking population |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-pm-kishida-its-now-or-never-stop-shrinking-population-2023-01-23/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Reuters}}</ref>

<gallery widths=300px heights=260px>
File:Number of births by age groups in Japan.svg|Number of births by age groups in Japan
</gallery>


=== Life expectancy ===
{{Main|List of Japanese prefectures by life expectancy}}

[[File:Life-expectancy, 1865 to 2023, JPN.svg|thumb|309px|Life expectancy in Japan since 1865<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?country=~JPN |title=Life expectancy at birth: Japan |language=en |publisher=[[Our World in Data]]}}</ref>]]
[[File:Life expectancy by WBG -Japan -diff.png|thumb|309px|Life expectancy in Japan since 1960 by gender<ref>{{cite web|title=Life expectancy at birth, total - Japan|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.IN?locations=JP|publisher=[[World Bank Group]]|language=en}}</ref>]]
[[File:Life expectancy map of Japan 2020.png|thumb|309px|Life expectancy map for 2020<ref>{{cite web|title=The Japanese Mortality Database |url=https://www.ipss.go.jp/p-toukei/JMD/index-en.asp |publisher=[[National Institute of Population and Social Security Research]] |language=en |date=30 March 2025 |access-date=7 July 2025}}</ref>]]

Japan consistently ranks among the [[List of countries by life expectancy|highest in the world for overall life expectancy]], holding the top position for women and one of the highest for men. As of 2024 data, life expectancy is approximately 87.13 years for females and 81.09 years for males. Historically, life expectancy was much lower, with a significant increase after [[World War II]].{{mw-datatable}}{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Ikeda |first1=Nayu |last2=Saito |first2=Eiko |last3=Kondo |first3=Naoki |last4=Inoue |first4=Manami |last5=Ikeda |first5=Shunya |last6=Satoh |first6=Toshihiko |last7=Wada |first7=Koji |last8=Stickley |first8=Andrew |last9=Katanoda |first9=Kota |last10=Mizoue |first10=Tetsuya |last11=Noda |first11=Mitsuhiko |last12=Iso |first12=Hiroyasu |last13=Fujino |first13=Yoshihisa |last14=Sobue |first14=Tomotaka |last15=Tsugane |first15=Shoichiro |date=2011-09-17 |title=What has made the population of Japan healthy? |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673611610556 |journal=The Lancet |volume=378 |issue=9796 |pages=1094–1105 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61055-6 |pmid=21885105 |issn=0140-6736}}</ref>

Before World War II, Japan's life expectancy was significantly lower than its current, world-leading figures, but it was already steadily improving from the late 19th century onward. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, life expectancy remained under 50 years for both men and women<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-01 |title=Japan's Population Data in 1920 and Today |url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h00727/ |access-date=2025-12-14 |website=nippon.com |language=en}}</ref>. The progress during this period was primarily driven by initial reductions in mortality from infectious and [[Parasitic disease|parasitic diseases]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Abridged Life Tables for Japan, 1999 |url=https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/lifetb99_8/part1.html#:~:text=The%20life%20expectancies%20at%20birth,and%20in%201947%20for%20males. |access-date=2025-12-14 |website=www.mhlw.go.jp}}</ref>.

Following the [[End of World War II]], Japan experienced a rapid and sustained increase in longevity, driven initially by a sharp decline in infectious disease mortality and later by advancements in chronic disease management. [[Universal health care|Universal Health Coverage]] and government-led campaigns targeting [[Non-communicable disease|Non-Communicable Diseases]] (NCDs), notably through salt-reduction efforts to combat [[stroke]].<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable mw-datatable sticky-header-multi sortable col1right" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan=2 class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;"|Age
! colspan=4|2010
! colspan=4 style="border-left-width:2px;"|2020
! colspan=4 style="border-left-width:2px;"|2023
|-
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3.5em;"|{{tooltip|overall|All population on average}}
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|male
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|female
! class="unsortable"|{{tooltip|sex gap|Difference in life expectancy for female and male}}
! class="unsortable" style="border-left-width:2px;vertical-align:middle;width:3.5em;"|overall
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|male
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|female
! class="unsortable"|sex gap
! class="unsortable" style="border-left-width:2px;vertical-align:middle;width:3.5em;"|overall
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|male
! class="unsortable" style="vertical-align:middle;width:3em;"|female
! class="unsortable"|sex gap
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 0 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 82.95 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 79.51 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 86.24 || 6.73 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 84.71 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 81.58 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 87.73 || 6.15 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 84.14 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 81.10 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 87.16 || 6.06
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 1 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 82.14 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 78.71 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 85.43 || 6.72 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 83.86 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 80.73 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 86.89 || 6.16 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 83.29 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 80.25 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 86.31 || 6.06
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 5 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 78.22 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 74.79 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 81.49 || 6.70 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 79.91 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 76.78 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 82.92 || 6.14 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 79.35 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 76.30 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 82.37 || 6.07
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 10 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 73.25 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 69.82 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 76.53 || 6.71 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 74.93 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 71.80 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 77.95 || 6.15 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 74.37 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 71.33 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 77.39 || 6.06
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 15 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 68.28 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 64.86 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 71.55 || 6.69 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 69.96 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 66.83 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 72.98 || 6.15 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 69.41 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 66.36 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 72.43 || 6.07
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 20 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 63.36 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 59.95 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 66.61 || 6.66 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 65.03 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 61.92 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 68.03 || 6.11 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 64.49 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 61.45 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 67.50 || 6.05
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 25 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 58.49 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 55.13 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 61.69 || 6.56 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 60.15 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 57.07 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 63.11 || 6.04 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 59.60 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 56.59 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 62.59 || 6.00
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 30 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 53.62 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 50.30 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 56.78 || 6.48 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 55.26 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 52.20 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 58.19 || 5.99 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 54.71 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 51.73 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 57.67 || 5.94
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 35 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 48.77 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 45.48 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 51.89 || 6.41 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 50.38 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 47.35 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 53.27 || 5.92 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 49.84 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 46.88 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 52.76 || 5.88
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 40 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 43.95 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 40.69 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 47.03 || 6.34 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 45.52 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 42.52 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 48.39 || 5.87 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 44.99 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 42.06 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 47.88 || 5.82
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 45 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 39.20 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 35.98 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 42.21 || 6.23 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 40.72 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 37.74 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 43.55 || 5.81 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 40.19 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 37.29 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 43.03 || 5.74
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 50 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 34.54 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 31.39 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 37.46 || 6.07 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 36.00 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 33.06 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 38.77 || 5.71 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 35.46 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 32.60 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 38.25 || 5.65
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 55 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 30.00 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 26.95 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 32.80 || 5.85 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 31.39 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 28.52 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 34.08 || 5.56 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 30.86 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 28.06 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 33.56 || 5.50
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 60 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 25.62 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 22.71 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 28.22 || 5.51 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 26.91 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 24.15 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 29.45 || 5.30 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 26.38 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 23.69 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 28.94 || 5.25
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 65 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 21.41 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 18.70 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 23.74 || 5.04 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 22.58 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 19.99 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 24.90 || 4.91 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 22.06 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 19.54 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 24.40 || 4.86
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 70 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 17.38 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 14.92 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 19.37 || 4.45 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 18.47 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 16.11 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 20.48 || 4.37 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 17.95 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 15.66 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 19.98 || 4.32
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 75 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 13.59 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 11.40 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 15.21 || 3.81 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 14.62 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 12.56 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 16.24 || 3.68 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 14.13 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 12.15 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 15.77 || 3.62
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 80 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 10.22 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 8.36 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 11.40 || 3.04 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 11.08 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 9.36 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 12.28 || 2.92 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 10.65 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 9.01 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 11.85 || 2.84
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 85 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 7.38 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 5.94 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 8.08 || 2.14 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 7.98 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 6.61 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 8.77 || 2.16 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 7.61 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 6.34 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 8.38 || 2.04
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 90 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 5.11 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 4.14 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 5.47 || 1.33 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 5.53 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 4.54 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 5.94 || 1.40 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 5.19 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 4.29 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 5.59 || 1.30
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 95 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 3.48 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.89 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 3.63 || 0.74 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 3.75 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 3.11 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 3.91 || 0.80 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 3.50 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.95 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 3.65 || 0.70
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 100 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 2.38 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.09 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 2.43 || 0.34 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 2.52 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.19 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 2.58 || 0.39 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 2.36 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 2.08 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 2.40 || 0.32
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 105 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 1.73 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 1.61 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 1.74 || 0.13 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 1.79 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 1.65 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 1.80 || 0.15 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 1.69 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 1.58 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 1.69 || 0.11
|-
|style="padding-right:2ex;"| 110 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;"| 1.36 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 1.34 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 1.36 || 0.02 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 1.39 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 1.34 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 1.39 || 0.05 ||style="background:#e0ffd8;border-left-width:2px;"| 1.33 ||style="background:#eaf3ff;"| 1.30 ||style="background:#fee7f6;"| 1.33 || 0.03
|}

Data source: [[National Institute of Population and Social Security Research]]<ref>{{cite web|title=The Japanese Mortality Database: All Japan |url=https://www.ipss.go.jp/p-toukei/JMD/00/index-en.html |publisher=[[National Institute of Population and Social Security Research]] |language=en |date=30 March 2025 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref>

==== Historical data ====
Sources: [[Our World In Data]] and the [[United Nations]].

;1865–1949
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Years
!1865
!1870
!1875
!1880
!1885
!1890
!1895
!1900
!1905
!1910
!1915
!1920
!1922
!1927
!1935
!1945
!1947
!1948
!1949
!1950<ref>{{Cite web |title=Life expectancy |url=https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?year=1810 |access-date=2018-08-28 |website=Our World in Data |archive-date=2018-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829072115/https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/life-expectancy?year=1810 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
|Life expectancy in Japan
|36.4
|36.6
|36.8
|37.0
|37.3
|37.7
|38.1
|38.6
|39.2
|40.0
|40.9
|42.0
|42.6
|45.7
|48.2
|30.5
|51.7
|56.8
|57.7
|59.2
|}

;1950–2020

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Period
!Life expectancy in<br />years
!Period
!Life expectancy in<br />years
|-
|1950–1955
|62.8
|1985–1990
|78.5
|-
|1955–1960
|66.4
|1990–1995
|79.4
|-
|1960–1965
|69.2
|1995–2000
|80.5
|-
|1965–1970
|71.4
|2000–2005
|81.8
|-
|1970–1975
|73.3
|2005–2010
|82.7
|-
|1975–1980
|75.4
|2010–2015
|83.3
|-
|1980–1985
|77.0
|2015–2020
|84.4
|}
Source: ''UN World Population Prospects''
{{Clear}}

=== Marriages and divorce ===
{{see also|Marriage in Japan}}
[[File:Percentage of birth to unmarried women, selected countries, 1980 and 2007.png|thumb|The percentage of births to unmarried women in selected countries, 1980 and 2007.<ref name="non_mar1">{{cite web |date=May 13, 2009 |title=Changing Patterns of Nonmarital Childbearing in the United States |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db18.pdf |access-date=July 9, 2022 |work=CDC/National Center for Health Statistics |archive-date=July 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220722153939/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db18.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> As can be seen in the figure, Japan has not followed the trend of other industrialized countries of children born outside of marriage to the same degree.]]
Many Japanese lead a sexless marriage. Japan has the lowest level of couples having sex at 45 times per year, well below the global average of 103 times. With reasons of "tired" and "bored with intercourse" usually given as an answer.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-03-30 |title=No sex, thank you ... we're Japanese |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/mar/30/japan |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> Despite this, Japan ranks as number two globally on the amount spent on pornography, after South Korea.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-02-16 |title=The Japanese Porn Industry: 5 Things We Learned at Japan Adult Expo |url=https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2018/02/the-japanese-porn-industry-5-things-we-learned-at-japan-adult-expo/ |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=Tokyo Weekender |language=en-US |archive-date=2022-01-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122135259/https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2018/02/the-japanese-porn-industry-5-things-we-learned-at-japan-adult-expo/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-02-07 |title=Koreas per capita porn spending highest in world |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/06/113_80964.html |access-date=2022-06-29 |website=koreatimes |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629194825/https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2022/06/113_80964.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

<gallery caption="Marriage and divorce statistics">
File:Marriages in Japan over time.svg|Marriages in Japan over time
File:Marriage rate per 1000 people in Japan.svg|Marriage rate per 1000 people in Japan
File:Average age of first marriage in Japan.svg|Average age of first marriage in Japan
File:Number of divorces in Japan over time.svg|Number of divorces in Japan over time
File:Divorce rates per 1000 of total population in Japan.svg|Divorce rates per 1000 of total population
</gallery>

==Ethnic groups==
<!--all accounts of alleged discrimination-->
{{Main|Ethnic issues in Japan|Ethnic groups of Japan}}

Naturalized Japanese citizens and native-born Japanese nationals with a multi-ethnic background are all considered to be Japanese in the population census of Japan.<ref name="xvq" />

===Discrimination against ethnic minorities===

{{Main|Burakumin}}

Three native Japanese minority groups can be identified. The largest are the ''hisabetsu buraku'' or "discriminated communities", also known as the ''burakumin''. These descendants of premodern outcast hereditary occupational groups, such as [[butcher]]s, [[leather]]workers, [[funeral director]]s, and certain entertainers, may be considered a Japanese analog of [[India]]'s [[Dalit (outcaste)|Dalits]]. Historically, discrimination against these occupational groups was based on [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] prohibitions on killing and [[Shinto]] notions of pollution, and it was also a feature of governmental social control.<ref name=loc/>

During the [[Edo period]], such people were required to live in special ''buraku'' and, like the rest of the population, they were bound by [[sumptuary law]]s which were based on the inheritance of social class. The [[Meiji period|Meiji]] government abolished most of the derogatory names which were applied to these discriminated communities in 1871, but the new laws had little effect on the social discrimination which was faced by the former outcasts and their descendants. However, the laws eliminated the economic monopoly which they had on certain occupations.<ref name=loc/> The ''buraku'' continued to be treated as social outcasts and some casual interactions with the majority caste were perceived [[taboo]] until the era after World War II.

Estimates of their number range from 2 to 4&nbsp;million (about 4% of the national population in 2022). Although the members of these marginalized communities are physically indistinguishable from other Japanese, most of them live in urban [[ghetto]]es or they live in the traditional special hamlets which are located in rural areas, and as a result, membership in a marginalized group can be surmised from the location of a family's home, a family's occupation, the dialect which a family speaks, or the mannerisms which a family uses when it communicates with people. Checks on the backgrounds of families which were designed to ferret out ''buraku'' were commonly performed as a condition of marriage arrangements and employment applications,<ref name=loc/> but in Osaka, they have been illegal since 1985.

Among the ''hisabetsu buraku'', past and current discrimination against them has resulted in lower educational attainments and it has also resulted in a lower socioeconomic status, by contrast, the majority of Japanese have higher educational attainments and they also have a higher economic status. Movements with objectives which range from "liberation" to the encouragement of integration have attempted to change this situation,<ref name=loc/> with some success. Nadamoto Masahisa of the Buraku History Institute estimates that as of 1998, between 60 and 80% of burakumin married a non-burakumin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nancho.net/kyoto/nadamoto.html |title=Kyoto Ijin: Nadamoto Masahisa |website=Nancho.net |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2016-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160719133637/http://www.nancho.net/kyoto/nadamoto.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Ryukyuans===
One of the largest minority groups among Japanese citizens is the [[Ryukyuans|Ryukyuan people]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=The international handbook of the demography of race and ethnicity|last1=Saenz|first1=Rogelio|last2=Embrick|first2=David G.|last3=Rodriguez|first3=Néstor|isbn=9789048188918|location=Dordrecht|oclc=910845577|date = 2015-06-03}}</ref> They are primarily distinguished by their use of several distinct [[Ryukyuan languages]], though use of Ryukyuan is dying out.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Matsumori |first=Akiko |date=1995-01-01 |title=Ryûkyuan: Past, present, and future |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.1995.9994591 |journal=Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development |volume=16 |issue=1–2 |pages=19–44 |doi=10.1080/01434632.1995.9994591 |issn=0143-4632|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The Ryukyuan people and language originated in the [[Ryukyu Islands]], which are in Okinawa prefecture and [[Kagoshima Prefecture]].

===Ainu===
[[File:"Ainus in national Gala-Costume, married women with tattooed mustache." Department of Anthropology, Japanese exhibit, 1904 World's Fair.jpg|thumb|Japanese Ainu group in 1904]]
The third largest minority group among Japanese citizens is the [[Ainu people|Ainu]], whose language is an [[language isolate|isolate]]. Historically, the Ainu were an indigenous [[hunting]] and gathering population who occupied most of northern Honshū as late as the Nara period (A.D.&nbsp;710–94). As Japanese settlement expanded, the Ainu were pushed northward,<ref name=loc/> by the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], the Ainu were pushed into the island of [[Hokkaido]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Shinichiro|first=Takakura|title=The Ainu of Northern Japan: A Study in Conquest and Acculturation|year=1960|publisher=The American Philosophical Society|location=Independence Square|pages=24–25}}</ref>

Characterized as remnants of a primitive circumpolar culture, the fewer than 20,000&nbsp;Ainu in 1990 were considered racially distinct and thus not fully Japanese. Disease and a low birth rate had severely diminished their numbers over the past two centuries, and intermarriage had brought about an almost completely mixed population.<ref name=loc/>

Although no longer in daily use, the [[Ainu language]] is preserved in epics, songs, and stories transmitted orally over succeeding generations. Distinctive rhythmic music and dances and some Ainu festivals and crafts are preserved, but mainly in order to take advantage of tourism.<ref name=loc/>

===Hāfu===

[[Hāfu]] (a kana rendition of "half") is a term used for people who are [[biracial]] and ethnically half [[Japanese people|Japanese]]. Of the one million children born in Japan in 2013, 2.2% had one or two non-Japanese parents.<sup>[[Marriage in Japan#cite note-70|[70]]]</sup> According to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, in 2016 one in forty-nine babies born in Japan were born into families with one non-Japanese parent.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hafufilm.com/en/about/ |title=About the film {{!}} Hafu |publisher=hafufilm.com |access-date=2016-09-14 |archive-date=2016-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015121235/http://hafufilm.com/en/about/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Most intermarriages in Japan are between Japanese men and women from other Asian countries, including China, the Philippines and South Korea.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/9/hafu-in-japan-mixed-race.html |title=Being 'hafu' in Japan: Mixed-race people face ridicule, rejection |publisher=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] |access-date=2017-05-01 |archive-date=2017-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520110100/http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/9/hafu-in-japan-mixed-race.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Southeast Asia too, also has significant populations of people with half-Japanese ancestry, particularly in [[Japanese settlement in the Philippines|the Philippines]], [[Japanese migration to Indonesia|Indonesia]], [[Japanese migration to Malaysia|Malaysia]], [[Japanese expatriates in Singapore|Singapore]] and [[Japanese migration to Thailand|Thailand]].

In the 1940s, biracial Japanese children (Ainoko), specifically [[Amerasian]] children, encountered social problems such as poverty, perception of impurity and discrimination due to negative treatment in Japan.<ref name="japantimes1">{{cite news| last = Kosaka | first = Kristy |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20090127zg.html |title=Half, bi or double? One family's trouble |newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |date=2009-01-27 |access-date=2011-11-20}}</ref> In the 21st century, discrimination against [[hāfu]] occurs based on how different their identity, behavior and appearance is from a typical Japanese person.<ref name="models">{{cite web |title=What it means to be a mixed-race model in Japan |date=October 25, 2018 |website=CNN |url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/rina-fukushi-japanese-hafu-models/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505191001/https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/rina-fukushi-japanese-hafu-models/index.html |archive-date=May 5, 2022}}</ref>

==Languages==
{{main|Languages of Japan}}

{{excerpt|hat=no|only=paragraphs|Languages of Japan}}
The Japanese society of [[Yamato people]] is [[linguistics|linguistically]] homogeneous with small populations of [[Koreans]] (0.9&nbsp;million), [[Chinese people|Chinese]]/[[Taiwanese people|Taiwanese]] (0.65&nbsp;million), [[Filipinos in Japan|Filipino]] (306,000 some being Japanese Filipino; children of Japanese and Filipino parentage).<ref>{{cite web|title=Embassy taps help of Pinoy groups in Japan|work=ABS-CBN News |location=Japan|date=March 12, 2011|url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/03/12/11/embassy-taps-help-pinoy-groups-japan/|access-date=March 14, 2011|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208134050/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/03/12/11/embassy-taps-help-pinoy-groups-japan/|url-status=live}}</ref> This can be also said for [[Brazil]]ians (300,000, many of whom are ethnically Japanese) as well as [[Peru]]vians and [[Argentina|Argentineans]] of both Latin American and Japanese descent.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} Japan has indigenous [[minority group]]s such as the [[Ainu people|Ainu]] and [[Ryukyuans]], who generally speak Japanese.

==Citizenship==
Japanese [[citizenship]] is conferred ''[[jus sanguinis|jure sanguinis]]'', and monolingual Japanese-speaking minorities often reside in Japan for generations under permanent residency status without acquiring citizenship in their country of birth, although legally they are allowed to do so. This is because Japanese law does not recognize dual citizenship after the age of adulthood, and so people becoming naturalized Japanese citizens must relinquish their previous citizenship upon reaching the age of 22 years <ref>{{Cite web |last=Atsushi |first=Kondo |date=Oct 2016 |title=Report on citizenship law: Japan |url=https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/43625/EudoCit_2016_11Japan%20.pdf?sequence=1 |access-date=13 Feb 2024 |publisher=Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies |archive-date=12 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512115321/https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/43625/EudoCit_2016_11Japan%20.pdf?sequence=1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wilkinson |first=Aoife |date=2020 |title=Forfeiting Citizenship, Forfeiting Identity? Multiethnic and Multiracial Japanese Youth in Australia and the Japanese Nationality Law |journal=New Voices in Japanese Studies |volume=12 |pages=21–43|doi=10.21159/nvjs.12.02 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

In addition, people taking Japanese citizenship must take a name using one or more of the Japanese character sets ([[hiragana]], [[katakana]], [[kanji]]). Names written in the Western alphabet, Korean alphabet, Arabic characters, etc., are not acceptable as legal names. Chinese characters are usually legally acceptable as nearly all Chinese characters are recognized as valid by the Japanese government. Transliterations of non-Japanese names using katakana (e.g. {{lang|ja|スミス}}　"{{transliteration|ja|Sumisu}}" for "Smith") are also legally acceptable.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

However, some naturalizing foreigners feel that becoming a Japanese citizen should mean that they have a Japanese name and that they should abandon their foreign name, and some foreign residents do not wish to do this—although most [[Special Permanent Resident (Japan)|Special Permanent Resident]] Koreans and Chinese already use Japanese names. Nonetheless, some 10,000 [[Zainichi Koreans]] naturalize every year. Approximately 98.6% of the population are Japanese citizens, and 99% of the population speak [[Japanese language|Japanese]] as their first language. Non-ethnic Japanese in the past, and to an extent in the present, also live in small numbers in the Japanese archipelago.<ref name="lie">[[John Lie (professor)|John Lie]], ''Multiethnic Japan'' (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2001) {{ISBN|0-674-01358-1}}</ref>

==Religion==
{{Main|Religion in Japan}}

[[File:Traditional wedding at Meji-jingu 72570539 f30636e2ef o.jpg|thumb|A [[Shinto wedding]] at the [[Meiji Shrine]]]]

{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = [[Religion in Japan]], 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thearda.com/world-religion/national-profiles?u=117c|title=Religions in Japan &#124; Arda|website=www.thearda.com|access-date=26 September 2025}}</ref>
| label1 = [[Buddhism]]
| value1 = 55.72
| color1 = Yellow
| label2 = [[Japanese new religions|New Religion]]
| value2 = 26.22
| color2 = Purple
| label3 = [[Christianity]]
| value3 = 2.18
| color3 = Blue
| label4 = [[Shintoism]]
| value4 = 2.12
| color4 = Pink
| label5 = [[Chinese Folk Religion]]
| value5 = 0.48
| color5 = Tan
| label6 = [[Islam]]
| value6 = .15
| color6 = Green
| label7 = [[Irreligion|None]]
| value7 = 12.9
| color7 = Black
| label8 = Other
| value8 = .23
| color8 = White
}}

[[Shinto]] and [[Buddhism]] are Japan's two major religions. They have co-existed for more than a thousand years. Most Japanese people generally do not exclusively identify themselves as adherents of one religion, but rather incorporate various elements in a [[syncretism|syncretic]] fashion.<ref>[[Edwin O. Reischauer]]  The Japanese Today: Change and Continuity; Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of [[Harvard University Press]] (1988), pg. 215.</ref> There are small [[Christianity in Japan|Christian]] and other minorities as well, with the Christian population dating to as early as the 1500s, as a result of European missionary work before [[sakoku]] was implemented from 1635 to 1853.

==Migration==

===Internal migration===
{{main|Migration in Japan}}

In the 1980s, between 6 million and 7 million people moved their residences each year. About 50% of these moves were within the same prefecture. The others were relocations from one prefecture to another. During Japan's economic development in the twentieth century, and especially during the 1950s and 1960s, migration was characterized by [[urbanization]] as people from rural areas in increasing numbers moved to the larger metropolitan areas in search of better jobs and education. Out-migration from rural prefectures continued in the late 1980s, but more slowly than in previous decades.<ref name=loc/>

In the 1980s, government policy provided support for new urban development away from the large cities, particularly Tokyo, and assisted regional cities to attract young people to live and work there. Regional cities offered familiarity to those from nearby areas, lower costs of living, shorter commutes, and, in general, a more relaxed lifestyle than could be had in larger cities. Young people continued to move to large cities to attend universities and find work, but some returned to regional cities, a pattern known as U-turn, or to their prefecture of origin (referred to as "J-turn"), or even moved to a rural area for the first time ("I-turn").<ref name=loc/><ref>{{in lang|ja}} [https://www.creativevillage.ne.jp/21854 「Uターン」「Jターン」「Iターン」とは？地方への転職のメリット・デメリット] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200719031433/https://www.creativevillage.ne.jp/21854 |date=2020-07-19 }} ''Creative Village'', 2017/03/08</ref>

In the 1980s, significant numbers of people left the largest central cities, Tokyo and Osaka, to move to suburbs within their metropolitan areas. In 1988, more than 500,000 people left Tokyo, which experienced a net loss through migration of nearly 73,000 for the year. Osaka had a net loss of nearly 36,000 in the same year.<ref name=loc/>

With a decreasing total population, internal migration results in only eight prefectures showing an increase in population. These are [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] 
(2.9%), [[Tokyo]] 
(2.7%), [[Aichi Prefecture|Aichi]] 
(1.0%), [[Saitama Prefecture|Saitama]] 
(1.0%), [[Kanagawa Prefecture|Kanagawa]] 
(0.9%), [[Fukuoka Prefecture|Fukuoka]] 
(0.6%), [[Shiga Prefecture|Shiga]] 
(0.2%), and [[Chiba Prefecture|Chiba]] 
(0.1%).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stat.go.jp/data/nihon/02.html|title=統計局ホームページ/日本の統計 2018－第2章 人口・世帯|last=総務省統計局|website=www.stat.go.jp|language=ja|access-date=2018-06-15|archive-date=2018-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180615111341/http://www.stat.go.jp/data/nihon/02.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Emigration===
{{Main|Japanese diaspora}}

In 1975, about 663,300 Japanese were living abroad, approximately 75,000 of whom had permanent foreign residency, more than six times the number who had that status. In 1990, more than 200,000 Japanese went abroad for extended periods of study, research, or business assignments. As the government and private corporations have stressed internationalization, greater numbers of individuals have been directly affected, decreasing Japan's historical insularity. By the late 1980s, these problems, particularly [[ijime|the bullying]] of returnee children in schools, had become a major public issue both in Japan and in Japanese communities abroad.<ref name=loc/>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Countries with significant populations of Japanese nationals in 2024<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statistics Bureau Home Page/JAPAN STATISTICAL YEARBOOK 2026 - Chapter 2 Population and Households |url=https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/nenkan/75nenkan/1431-02.html |access-date=2025-12-04 |website=www.stat.go.jp}}</ref>
!Country
!
!Permanent<br/>expatriates
|-
|{{flag|United States}}
|413,380
|230,378
|-
|{{flag|Australia}}
|104,141
|64,070
|-
|{{flag|China}}
|97,538
|5,992
|-
|{{flag|Canada}}
|77,294
|52,457
|-
|{{flag|Thailand}}
|70,421
|2,554
|-
|{{flag|United Kingdom}}
|64,066
|29,449
|-
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|46,577
|42,017
|-
|{{flag|Germany}}
|43,513
|18,738
|-
|{{flag|South Korea}}
|43,064
|16,631
|-
|{{flag|France}}
|37,056
|15,585
|-
|{{flag|Singapore}}
|32,565
|4,852
|-
|{{flag|Taiwan}}
|21,696
|7,128
|-
|{{flag|New Zealand}}
|20,318
|12,200
|-
|{{flag|Malaysia}}
|20,025
|2,009
|-
|{{Flag|Vietnam}}
|17,410
|515
|-
|{{Flag|Indonesia}}
|14,934
|1,809
|-
|{{Flag|Switzerland}}
|12,085
|7,936
|-
|{{Flag|Italy}}
|11,937
|6,577
|-
|{{Flag|Netherlands}}
|10,656
|2,928
|-
|{{Flag|Argentina}}
|10,528
|10,177
|}

Note: The above data shows the number of Japanese nationals living overseas. It was published by the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000043.html |title=Annual Report of Statistics on Japanese Nationals Overseas |access-date=2018-04-08 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=2018-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180408141349/http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/toko/page22_000043.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Immigration===
{{Main|Immigration to Japan}}

According to the Japanese immigration centre, the number of foreign residents in Japan has steadily increased, and the number of foreign residents exceeded 3,768,977 people in December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/publications/press/13_00052.html|title=令和6年末現在における在留外国人数について &#124; 出入国在留管理庁|website=www.moj.go.jp}}</ref><ref name="toukei_touroku_gaiyou">{{Cite web|url=https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/statistics/toukei_touroku_gaiyou.html|title=在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計） 結果の概要 &#124; 出入国在留管理庁|website=www.moj.go.jp}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/statistics/toukei_ichiran_touroku.html|title=【在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計）統計表】 &#124; 出入国在留管理庁|website=www.moj.go.jp}}</ref>

In 2020, the number of foreigners in Japan was 2,887,116. This includes 325,000 Filipinos, many of whom are married to Japanese nationals and possessing some degree of Japanese ancestry,<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://globalnation.inquirer.net/186453/fwd-2-filipinos-in-japan-suspected-positive-for-covid-19|title = 2 Filipinos in Japan may be COVID-19 positive, says PH Embassy|date = April 2020|access-date = 2021-07-25|archive-date = 2021-03-26|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210326234545/https://globalnation.inquirer.net/186453/fwd-2-filipinos-in-japan-suspected-positive-for-covid-19|url-status = live}}</ref><ref name="ministry">{{cite web|publisher=Ministry of Justice|title=平成２３年末現在における外国人登録者統計について 法務省|language=ja|trans-title=Statistics of Registered Foreigners in 2011|location=Japan|date=February 22, 2012|url=http://www.moj.go.jp/nyuukokukanri/kouhou/nyuukokukanri04_00015.html|access-date=June 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419181549/http://www.moj.go.jp/nyuukokukanri/kouhou/nyuukokukanri04_00015.html|archive-date=April 19, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> 208,538 Brazilians, the majority possessing some degree of Japanese ancestry,<ref name="ministry"/> 778,112 Chinese, 448,053 Vietnamese and 426,908 South Koreans. Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos and Brazilians account for about 77% of foreign residents in Japan.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

The current issue of the shrinking workforce in Japan alongside its aging population has resulted in a recent need to attract foreign labour to the country.{{cn|date=July 2024}} Reforms which took effect in 2015 relax visa requirements for "Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals" and create a new type of residence status with an unlimited period of stay.{{cn|date=July 2024}}

The number of naturalized individuals peaked in 2003 at 17,633, before declining to 8,863 by 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.moj.go.jp/MINJI/toukei_t_minj03.html | title=法務省：帰化許可申請者数等の推移 }}</ref><ref>[https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001414946.pdf]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://hirose-asoffice.com/_p/acre/18391/documents/%E5%9B%BD%E7%B1%8D%E5%88%A5%E5%B8%B0%E5%8C%96%E8%A8%B1%E5%8F%AF%E8%80%85%E6%95%B0.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2024-08-27 |archive-date=2024-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240605044250/https://hirose-asoffice.com/_p/acre/18391/documents/%E5%9B%BD%E7%B1%8D%E5%88%A5%E5%B8%B0%E5%8C%96%E8%A8%B1%E5%8F%AF%E8%80%85%E6%95%B0.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>[https://www.moj.go.jp/content/001414947.pdf]</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://matsutoh-gyosei.sakura.ne.jp/archives/734 | title=帰化許可者数の推移 | date=8 June 2024 }}</ref> Most of the decline is accounted for by a steep reduction in the number of Japan-born Koreans taking Japanese citizenship. Historically the bulk of those taking Japanese citizenship have not been foreign-born immigrants but rather Japanese-born descendants of Koreans and Taiwanese who lost their citizenship in the [[Japanese Empire]] in 1947 as part of the American Occupation policy for Japan.

Japanese statistical authorities do not collect information on ethnicity, only nationality.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shendruk |first=Amanda |date=2021-07-08 |title=Are you even trying to stop racism if you don't collect data on race? |url=https://qz.com/2029525/the-20-countries-that-dont-collect-racial-and-ethnic-census-data/ |access-date=2022-07-04 |website=Quartz |language=en |archive-date=2022-07-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220709223931/https://qz.com/2029525/the-20-countries-that-dont-collect-racial-and-ethnic-census-data/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result, both native and naturalized Japanese citizens are counted in a single group.<ref name="xvq">{{cite web |title=平成20年末現在における外国人登録者統計について(Number of Foreign residents in Japan) |url=http://www.moj.go.jp/PRESS/090710-1/090710-1.html |access-date=2011-11-09 |publisher=Moj.go.jp |archive-date=2023-04-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416003134/https://www.moj.go.jp/PRESS/090710-1/090710-1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Although official statistics therefore show homogeneity, other analyses describe the population as "multi-ethnic".<ref name="lie"/><ref name="Gentensei Shinko Shinbun 2010">{{cite book |author=Atsushi Kotani |trans-title=The Phoniness of the Japanese Cultural Theory |script-title=ja:日本文化論のインチキ |isbn=978-4-344-98166-9 |publisher=Gentensei Shinko Shinbun |year=2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=[[Eiji Oguma]]|script-title=ja:単一民族神話の起源――<日本人>の自画像の系|trans-title=The Origin of the Myth of Ethnic Homogeneity: A Genealogy of "Japanese" Self-Images|publisher=[[Shin-yo-sha]]|year=1995}}</ref>

===Net Migration===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Net Migration to Japan (2001–present)<ref>{{cite web |title=Portal Site of Official Statistics of Japan |url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/en |website=e-Stat |date=24 September 2020 |publisher=Statistics Bureau of Japan |access-date=2025-04-26}}</ref>
! Year !! Net Migration
|-
| 2001 || 145,781
|-
| 2002 || -50,788
|-
| 2003 || 67,832
|-
| 2004 || -35,076
|-
| 2005 || -52,729
|-
| 2006 || 1,221
|-
| 2007 || 3,598
|-
| 2008 || -44,626
|-
| 2009 || -123,748
|-
| 2010 || 14
|-
| 2011 || -78,984
|-
| 2012 || -78,805
|-
| 2013 || 14,378
|-
| 2014 || 36,386
|-
| 2015 || 94,438
|-
| 2016 || 133,892
|-
| 2017 || 150,727
|-
| 2018 || 161,456
|-
| 2019 || 208,783
|-
| 2020 || 41,907
|-
| 2021 || -35,188
|-
| 2022 || 175,115
|-
| 2023 || 242,131
|-
| 2024 || 339,843
|}

====Foreign residents====
[[File:Foreign_residents_in_Japan_2023.png|thumb|Foreign residents in Japan by source country, 1950-2024]]
[[File:Age and Sex Distribution of Major Foreigners in Japan en.png|thumb|The age and sex distribution of major foreign cohorts in Japan, 2012]]

In December 2024, there were 3,768,977 foreign residents in Japan, representing 3.04% of the Japanese population.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/policies/statistics/toukei_touroku_gaiyou.html|title=在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計） 結果の概要 &#124; 出入国在留管理庁|website=www.moj.go.jp}}</ref><ref name="auto3">[https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001442566.pdf]</ref> Foreign Army personnel, of which there were up to 430,000 from the [[Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers|SCAP]] ([[Post-occupation Japan|post-occupation]], [[United States Forces Japan]]) and 40,000 [[British Commonwealth Occupation Force|BCOF]] in the immediate post-war years, have not been at any time included in Japanese foreign resident statistics.<ref name="TESSA1">Morris-Suzuki, Tessa; ''Borderline Japan: foreigners and frontier controls in the post-war era;'' Cambridge 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-521-86460-2}}, Ch. 1: "Border Politics," Ch. 8: "A point of no return"</ref> Most foreign residents in Japan come from [[Brazil]] or from other Asian countries, particularly from [[China]], [[Vietnam]], [[South Korea]], [[Philippines|the Philippines]], and [[Nepal]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/11/national/japan-sees-record-high-number-foreign-residents-justice-ministry/|title=Japan sees record high number of foreign residents: Justice Ministry|first=Shusuke|last=Murai|date=March 11, 2016|via=Japan Times Online|access-date=July 14, 2018|archive-date=July 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714100607/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/11/national/japan-sees-record-high-number-foreign-residents-justice-ministry/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00137/japan%E2%80%99s-foreign-population-climbs-to-all-time-high.html|title=Japan's Foreign Population Climbs to All-Time High|date=March 29, 2016|website=nippon.com|access-date=December 26, 2019|archive-date=February 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200209082552/https://www.nippon.com/en/features/h00137/japan%E2%80%99s-foreign-population-climbs-to-all-time-high.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

A number of long-term resident Koreans in Japan today retain familial links with the descendants of [[Koreans]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/023/0488/02312080488003a.html |title=衆議院会議録情報 第０２３回国会 法務委員会 第３号 |website=Kokkai.ndl.go.jp |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2014-07-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715104128/http://kokkai.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/023/0488/02312080488003a.html |url-status=live }}</ref> that either immigrated voluntarily or were forcibly relocated during the [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese occupation of Korea]]. Within this group, a number hold [[Special Permanent Resident (Japan)|Special Permanent Resident]] status, granted under the terms of the Normalisation Treaty (22nd June 1965) between South Korea and Japan.<ref>Morris-Suzuki (2010), p. 230</ref> In many cases special residents, despite being born in Japan and speaking Japanese, have chosen not to take advantage of the mostly automatic granting of citizenship to special resident applicants.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.han.org/a/fukuoka96a.html |title=Koreans in Japan: Past and Present |publisher=HAN |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2019-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606063047/http://www.han.org/a/fukuoka96a.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Beginning in 1947 the [[Government of Japan|Japanese government]] started to repatriate Korean nationals, who had nominally been granted [[Japanese nationality law|Japanese citizenship]] during the years of [[Occupation of Japan|military occupation]]. When the [[Treaty of San Francisco]] came into force many ethnic Koreans lost their Japanese citizenship from April 28, 1952, and with it the right to welfare grants, to hold a government job of any kind or to attend Japanese schools.<ref name="TESSA1" /> In the following year the government contrived, with the help of the Red Cross, a scheme to "repatriate" Korean residents, who mainly were from the Southern Provinces, to their "home" of [[North Korea]].<ref>Agreement signed in [[Kolkata|Calcutta]], brokered by the [[ICRC]]. Morris-Suzuki (2010), p. 208</ref> Between 1959 and 1984 93,430 people used this route, of whom 6,737 were Japanese or Chinese dependents. Most of these departures – 78,276 – occurred before 1962.<ref>Detailed in: Morris-Suzuki, Tessa (2006). ''Exodus to North Korea: Shadows from Japan's Cold War''. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, Publishers. {{ISBN|978-0-7425-5441-2}}.</ref>

[[File:Foreign nationals living in Japan (2023).png|thumb|454x454px|Foreign-born population by citizenship in 2023.<ref>[http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2000/gaikoku/00/hyodai.htm Japan Statistics Bureau] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225055120/http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/kokusei/2000/gaikoku/00/hyodai.htm |date=December 25, 2007 }}, accessed 8 December 2007</ref>]]
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Japan's population in 2024.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto3"/>
| other = 
| label1 = Japanese nationals
| value1 = 96.96
| color1 = #526e9c
| label2 = Foreign nationals
| value2 = 3.04
| color2 = #B50945
}}

All non-Japanese without special residential status (people whose residential roots go back to before WWII) are required by law to register with the government and carry alien registration cards. From the early 1980s, a civil disobedience movement encouraged refusal of the [[fingerprint]]ing that accompanied registration every five years.<ref name=loc/>

Opponents of fingerprinting argued that it was discriminatory because the only Japanese who were fingerprinted were criminals. The courts upheld fingerprinting, but the law was changed so that fingerprinting was done once rather than with each renewal of the registration,<ref name=loc>{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/japancountrystud00dola|title=Japan : a country study|first1=Ronald E.|last1=Dolan|first2=Robert L.|last2=Worden|date=November 1, 1992|publisher=Washington, D.C. : Federal Research Division, Library of Congress : For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Print. Off.|isbn=9780844407319 |via=Internet Archive}}</ref> which until a law reform in 1989 was usually required every six months for anybody from the age of 16. Those refusing fingerprinting were denied re-entry permits, thus depriving them of freedom of movement.

Of these foreign residents below, the new wave which started in 2014, came to Japan as students or trainees. These foreigners are registered under student visa or trainee visa, which gives them the student residency status. Most of these new foreigners are under this visa. Almost all of these foreign students and trainees will return to their home country after three to four years (one valid period); few students extend their visa. [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] make up the largest increase. [[Demographics of Burma|Burmese]], [[Cambodians]], [[Filipinos]] and [[Chinese people|Chinese]] are also increasing.

[[Asian migrant brides in Japan|Asian migrant wives of Japanese men]] have also contributed to the foreign-born population in the country. Many young single Japanese male farmers choose foreign wives, mainly from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, China and South Korea, due to a lack of interest from Japanese women living a farming life.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sugimoto |first=Yoshio |date=22 June 2010 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JyaeipnFbvUC |title=An Introduction to Japanese Society |publisher=Cambridge University Press |via=Google Books|isbn=9781139489478}}</ref> Migrant wives often travel as [[mail-order bride]]s as a result of [[arranged marriage]]s with Japanese men.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gK2TJ8mKs-MC|title=Local Dynamics in an Era of Globalization: 21st Century Catalysts for Development|first1=Shahid|last1=Yusuf|first2=Weiping|last2=Wu|first3=Simon J.|last3=Evenett|date=16 September 2017|publisher=World Bank Publications|via=Google Books|isbn=9780195215977}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!rowspan="2"|Country region groups!! rowspan="2" |Number!!colspan="2"|Percentage of
|-
!Foreign<br />citizens!!Total<br />population
|-
|Asians
|align=right|3,258,155 
|{{percentage bar|86.45}}
|{{percentage bar|2.63}}
|-
|South Americans
|align=right|278,814 
|{{percentage bar|7.4}}
|{{percentage bar|0.22}}
|-
|Europeans
|align=right|102,792 
|{{percentage bar|2.73}}
|{{percentage bar|0.08}}
|-
|North Americans
|align=right|85,431 
|{{percentage bar|2.27}}
|{{percentage bar|0.07}}
|-
|African
|align=right|25,283 
|{{percentage bar|0.67}}
|{{percentage bar|0.02}}
|-
|Oceania
|align=right|18,034 
|{{percentage bar|0.48}}
|{{percentage bar|0.01}}
|-
!Total (as of 2024)
|align=right|3,768,977
|{{percentage bar|100}}
|{{percentage bar|3.04}}
|}

===Table: numbers of foreign nationals in Japan===
{{Cleanup|list|reason=lack of sources for earlier years, sorting and table layout|date=July 2023}}
{{table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable col1left col15left" style="text-align:right;"
! rowspan=2|Country
! rowspan=2|1990
! rowspan=2|2000<ref>{{cite web |author=National Statistics Center |url=https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&data=1&metadata=1&cycle=7&toukei=00250012&tstat=000001018034&tclass1=000001060436&tclass2val=0&year=20000&month=0&result_back=1 |title=国籍（出身地）2000年 |website=E-stat.go.jp |access-date=2024-04-03 |archive-date=2024-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240410065856/https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&data=1&metadata=1&cycle=7&toukei=00250012&tstat=000001018034&tclass1=000001060436&tclass2val=0&year=20000&month=0&result_back=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>
! rowspan=2|2005
! rowspan=2|2010
! rowspan=2|2015<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?lid=000001150236 |title=統計表一覧 政府統計の総合窓口 GL08020103 |website=E-stat.go.jp |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2017-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020135356/http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?lid=000001150236 |url-status=live }}</ref> 
! rowspan=2|2020<ref name="toukei_touroku_gaiyou"/>
! rowspan=2|2024<ref>{{cite web | url=
https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/files?page=1&layout=datalist&toukei=00250012&tstat=000001018034&cycle=1&year=20240&month=24101212&tclass1=000001060399&stat_infid=000040292366&tclass2val=0 | title=在留外国人統計（旧登録外国人統計） / 在留外国人統計 }}</ref>
! style="background:#9dbec3;"|Main article
|-
|border = "1"|{{flagicon|CHN}} [[China]]<ref>Including +12,000 [[Hongkongers]]</ref>
| |{{nts|137499}}
| |{{nts|335575}}
| |{{nts|519561}}
| |{{nts|687156}}
| |{{nts|665847}}<ref name="excluding Taiwan">excluding Taiwan</ref> 
| |{{nts|778112}}
| |{{nts|873286}}
| [[Chinese people in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{VIE}}
| |{{nts|6316}}
| |{{nts|16908}}
| |{{nts|28932}}
| |{{nts|41781}}
| |{{nts|146956}}
| |{{nts|448053}}
| |{{nts|634361}}
| |[[Vietnamese people in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{flagicon|KOR}} [[South Korea]]
| |{{nts|681838}}
| |{{nts|635269}}
| |{{nts|598687}}
| |{{nts|565989}}
| |{{nts|457772}}
| |{{nts|426908}}
| |{{nts|409238}}
| [[Koreans in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{PHL}}
| |{{nts|38925}}
| |{{nts|144871}}
| |{{nts|187261}}
| |{{nts|210181}}
| |{{nts|229595}}
| |{{nts|279660}}
| |{{nts|341518}}
| |[[Filipinos in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{NEP}}
| |{{nts|399}}
| |{{nts|3649}}
| |{{nts|6953}}
| |{{nts|17525}}
| |{{nts|54775}}
| |{{nts|95982}}
| |{{nts|233043}}
| [[Nepalis in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{BRA}}
| |{{nts|14258}}
| |{{nts|254394}}
| |{{nts|302080}}
| |{{nts|230552}}
| |{{nts|173437}}
| |{{nts|208538}}
| |{{nts|211907}}
| [[Brazilians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{IDN}}
| |{{nts|2781}}
| |{{nts|19346}}
| |{{nts|25097}}
| |{{nts|24895}}
| |{{nts|35910}}
| |{{nts|66832}}
| |{{nts|199824}}
| |[[Indonesians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{MYA}}
| |{{nts|894}}
| |{{nts|4851}}
| |{{nts|5342}}
| |{{nts|8577}}
| |{{nts|13737}}
| |{{nts|35049}} 
| |{{nts|134574}}
| |[[Burmese people in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{flagicon|ROC}} [[Taiwan]]
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|48723}}
| |{{nts|55872}}
| |{{nts|70147}}
| |{{ill|Taiwanese in Japan|jp|在日台湾人}}
|-
| border="1" |{{USA}}<ref>Excluding people from [[United States Forces Japan|US Forces]]</ref>
| |{{nts|34900}}
| |{{nts|44856}}
| |{{nts|49390}}
| |{{nts|50667}}
| |{{nts|52271}}
| |{{nts|55761}}
| |{{nts|66111}}
| |[[Americans in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{THA}}
| |{{nts|5542}}
| |{{nts|29289}}
| |{{nts|37703}}
| |{{nts|41279}}
| |{{nts|45379}}
| |{{nts|53379}}
| |{{nts|65398}}
| |[[Thais in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{LKA}}
| |{{nts|1064}}
| |{{nts|5655}}
| |{{nts|9013}}
| |{{nts|9097}}
| |{{nts|13152}}
| |{{nts|29290}}
| |{{nts|63472}}
| [[Sri Lankans in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{IND}}
| |{{nts|2926}}
| |{{nts|10064}}
| |{{nts|16988}}
| |{{nts|22497}}
| |{{nts|26244}}
| |{{nts|38558}} 
| |{{nts|53974}} 
| |[[Indians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{PER}}
| |{{nts|4121}}
| |{{nts|46171}}
| |{{nts|57728}}
| |{{nts|54636}}
| |{{nts|47721}}
| |{{nts|48256}}
| |{{nts|49247}} 
| |[[Peruvian migration to Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{BAN}}
| |{{nts|2205}}
| |{{nts|7176}}
| |{{nts|11015}}
| |{{nts|10175}}
| |{{nts|10835}}
| |{{nts|17463}} 
| |{{nts|35073}}
| [[Bangladeshis in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{PAK}}
| |{{nts|1875}}
| |{{nts|7498}}
| |{{nts|8789}}
| |{{nts|10299}}
| |{{nts|12708}}
| |{{nts|19103}} 
| |{{nts|29647}}
| [[Pakistanis in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{CAM}}
| |{{nts|1148}}
| |{{nts|1761}}
| |{{nts|2263}}
| |{{nts|2683}}
| |{{nts|6111}}
| |{{nts|16659}}
| |{{nts|26827}}
| |[[Cambodians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{flagicon|North Korea}} [[North Korea]]
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|}}
| |{{nts|33939}}
| |{{nts|27214}} 
| |{{nts|23206}}
| |[[Koreans in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{MNG}}
| |{{nts|23}}
| |{{nts|1209}}
| |{{nts|3762}}
| |{{nts|4949}}
| |{{nts|6590}}
| |{{nts|13504}} 
| |{{nts|21240}}
| |[[Mongolians in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{UK}}
| |{{nts|9272}}
| |{{nts|16525}}
| |{{nts|17494}}
| |{{nts|16044}}
| |{{nts|15826}}
| |{{nts|16891}} 
| |{{nts|21139}}
| [[Britons in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{FRA}}
| |{{nts|2881}}
| |{{nts|5371}}
| |{{nts|7337}}
| |{{nts|9060}}
| |{{nts|10672}}
| {{nts|12264}} 
| |{{nts|16215}}
| |[[French people in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{AUS}}
| |{{nts|3073}}
| |{{nts|9188}}
| |{{nts|11277}}
| |{{nts|9756}}
| |{{nts|9843}}
| {{nts|9758}}
| |{{nts|13015}}
| |[[Australians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{CAN}}
| |{{nts|4172}}
| |{{nts|10088}}
| |{{nts|12022}}
| |{{nts|9995}}
| |{{nts|9538}}
| {{nts|10,103}}
| |{{nts|12,226}}
| |[[Canadians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{RUS}}
| |{{nts|340}}<ref>Soviet Union</ref>
| |{{nts|4893}}
| |{{nts|7110}}
| |{{nts|7814}}
| |{{nts|8092}}
| {{nts|9249}} 
| |{{nts|11982}}
| |[[Russians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{MYS}}
| |{{nts|4309}}
| |{{nts|8386}}
| |{{nts|7910}}
| |{{nts|8364}}
| |{{nts|8738}}
| |{{nts|10318}}
| |{{nts|11968}}
| |{{ill|Malaysians in Japan|jp|在日マレーシア人}}
|-
|border = "1"|{{GER}}
| |{{nts|3410}}
| |{{nts|4295}}
| |{{nts|5356}}
| |{{nts|5971}}
| |{{nts|6336}}
| {{nts|6114}} 
| |{{nts|8749}}
| |{{ill|Germans in Japan|jp|在日ドイツ人}}
|-
|border = "1"|{{TUR}}<ref>Including +2,000 [[Kurds in Japan|Kurds]]</ref>
| |{{nts|190}}
| |{{nts|1424}}
| |{{nts|2275}}
| |{{nts|2547}}
| |{{nts|4157}}
| {{nts|6212}}
| |{{nts|7711}}
| [[Turks in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{UZB}}
| |{{nts|113}}
| |{{nts|184}}
| |{{nts|495}}
| |{{nts|832}}
| |{{nts|1503}}
| |{{nts|3632}}
| |{{nts|7107}}
| |[[Uzbeks in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{BOL}}
| |{{nts|238}}
| |{{nts|3915}}
| |{{nts|6139}}
| |{{nts|5720}}
| |{{nts|5412}}
| |{{nts|6119}}
| |{{nts|6753}}
| |{{ill|Bolivians in Japan|jp|在日ボリビア人}}
|-
| border="1" |{{AFG}}
| |{{nts|128}}
| |{{nts|430}}
| |{{nts|593}}
| |{{nts|1148}}
| |{{nts|2639}}
| {{nts|3509}}
| |{{nts|6351}}
| |{{ill|Afghans in Japan|jp|在日アフガニスタン人}}
|-
|border = "1"|{{ITA}}
| |{{nts|890}}
| |{{nts|1579}}
| |{{nts|2083}}
| |{{nts|2731}}
| |{{nts|3536}}
| |{{nts|4263}}
| |{{nts|5556}}
| |[[Italians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{LAO}}
| |{{nts|864}}
| |{{nts|1677}}
| |{{nts|2393}}
| |{{nts|2639}}
| |{{nts|2592}}
| |{{nts|2903}}
| |{{nts|4442}}
| |{{ill|Laotians in Japan|jp|在日ラオス人}}
|-
|border = "1"|{{IRN}}
| |{{nts|988}}
| |{{nts|6167}}
| |{{nts|5227}}
| |{{nts|4841}}
| |{{nts|3996}}
| {{nts|4121}} 
| |{{nts|4399}}
| |[[Iranians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{NGA}}
| |{{nts|140}}
| |{{nts|1741}}
| |{{nts|2389}}
| |{{nts|2729}}
| |{{nts|2638}}
| {{nts|3315}} 
| |{{nts|4318}}
| |[[Nigerians in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{UKR}}
| |{{nts|892}}
| |{{nts|1004}}
| |{{nts|1784}}
| |{{nts|1507}}
| |{{nts|1699}}
| |{{nts|1865}}
| |{{nts|4176}}
| |{{ill|Ukrainians in Japan|jp|在日ウクライナ人}}
|-
| border="1" |{{ESP}}
| |{{nts|827}}
| |{{nts|1338}}
| |{{nts|1585}}
| |{{nts|1907}}
| |{{nts|2495}}
| |{{nts|3240}} 
| |{{nts|4146}}
| |{{ill|Spaniards in Japan|jp|在日スペイン人}}
|-
| border="1" |{{NZL}}
| |{{nts|967}}
| |{{nts|3264}}
| |{{nts|3824}}
| |{{nts|3250}}
| |{{nts|3152}}
| {{nts|3280}}
| |{{nts|4022}}
| |[[New Zealanders in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{SGP}}
| |{{nts|1042}}
| |{{nts|1940}}
| |{{nts|2283}}
| |{{nts|2512}}
| |{{nts|2501}}
| {{nts|2958}}
| |{{nts|3739}}
| |{{ill|Singaporean in Japan|jp|在日シンガポール人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{MEX}}
| |{{nts|691}}
| |{{nts|1740}}
| |{{nts|1825}}
| |{{nts|1956}}
| |{{nts|2141}}
| {{nts|2714}}
| |{{nts|3702}}
| |[[Mexicans in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{ARG}}
| |{{nts|1704}}
| |{{nts|3072}}
| |{{nts|3834}}
| |{{nts|3181}}
| |{{nts|2630}}
| {{nts|2966}}
| |{{nts|3523}}
| |{{ill|Argentines in Japan|jp|在日アルゼンチン人}} 
|-
|border = "1"|{{GHA}}
| |{{nts|518}}
| |{{nts|1657}}
| |{{nts|1824}}
| |{{nts|1883}}
| |{{nts|2,235}}
| |{{nts|2005}}
| |{{nts|3124}}
| [[Ghanaians in Japan]]
|-
|border = "1"|{{COL}}
| |{{nts|373}}
| |{{nts|2496}}
| |{{nts|2902}}
| |{{nts|2606}}
| |{{nts|2268}}
| {{nts|2482}}
| |{{nts|2774}}
| |{{ill|Colombians in Japan|jp|在日コロンビア人}} 
|-
|border = "1"|{{EGY}}
| |{{nts|344}}
| |{{nts|1103}}
| |{{nts|1366}}
| |{{nts|1593}}
| |{{nts|2005}}
| {{nts|2027}} 
| |{{nts|2450}}
| |{{ill|Egyptians in Japan|jp|在日エジプト人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{ROM}}
| |{{nts|42}}
| |{{nts|2449}}
| |{{nts|3574}}
| |{{nts|2409}}
| |{{nts|2408}}
| |{{nts|2250}}
| |{{nts|2310}}
| |{{ill|Romanians in Japan|jp|在日ルーマニア人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{PAR}}
| |{{nts|672}}
| |{{nts|1678}}
| |{{nts|2287}}
| |{{nts|2098}}
| |{{nts|1880}}
| |{{nts|2131}}
| |{{nts|2266}}
| |{{ill|Paraguayans in Japan|jp|在日パラグアイ人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{SWE}}
| |{{nts|586}}
| |{{nts|1158}}
| |{{nts|1136}}
| |{{nts|1553}}
| |{{nts|1805}}
| |{{nts|1514}}
| |{{nts|1971}}
| |[[Swedes in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{NED}}
| |{{nts|749}}
| |{{nts|904}}
| |{{nts|1079}}
| |{{nts|1099}}
| |{{nts|1129}}
| |{{nts|1294}}
| |{{nts|1881}}
| |{{ill|Dutch in Japan|jp|在日オランダ人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{POL}}
| |{{nts|359}}
| |{{nts|742}}
| |{{nts|870}}
| |{{nts|978}}
| |{{nts|1653}}
| |{{nts|1408}}
| |{{nts|1865}}
| |[[Poles in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{SYR}}
| |{{nts|70}}
| |{{nts|135}}
| |{{nts|158}}
| |{{nts|188}}
| |{{nts|477}}
| |{{nts|970}}
| |{{nts|1584}}
| |{{ill|Syrians in Japan|jp|在日シリア人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{RSA}}
| |{{nts|108}}
| |{{nts|353}}
| |{{nts|564}}
| |{{nts|570}}
| |{{nts|691}}
| |{{nts|1020}}
| |{{nts|1560}}
| |{{ill|South Africans in Japan|jp|在日南アフリカ人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{CMR}}
| |{{nts|6}}
| |{{nts|100}}
| |{{nts|214}}
| |{{nts|343}}
| |{{nts|473}}
| |{{nts|1059}}
| |{{nts|1558}}
| |{{ill|Cameroonians in Japan|jp|在日カメルーン人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{SWI}}
| |{{nts|980}}
| |{{nts|907}}
| |{{nts|971}}
| |{{nts|1089}}
| |{{nts|1023}}
| |{{nts|1076}}
| |{{nts|1393}}
| |{{ill|Swiss in Japan|jp|在日スイス人}} 
|-
| border="1" |{{IRE}}
| |{{nts|671}}
| |{{nts|974}}
| |{{nts|1094}}
| |{{nts|1061}}
| |{{nts|1026}}
| |{{nts|1128}}
| |{{nts|1392}}
| |[[Irish people in Japan]]
|-
| border="1" |{{CHL}}
| |{{nts|263}}
| |{{nts|652}}
| |{{nts|712}}
| |{{nts|680}}
| |{{nts|639}}
| |{{nts|886}}
| |{{nts|1249}}
| |{{ill|Chilean in Japan|jp|在日チリ人}} 
|-
|border = "1" style="background:#9DBEC3;" |'''Total foreign residents'''
| style="text-align:right; background:#9dbec3;" |{{nts|984455}}
| style="text-align:right; background:#9dbec3;" |{{nts|1686444}}
| style="text-align:right; background:#9dbec3;" |{{nts|2011555}}
| style="text-align:right; background:#9dbec3;" |{{nts|2134151}}
| style="text-align:right; background:#9dbec3;" |{{nts|2232189}}
| style="text-align:right; background:#9dbec3;" |{{nts|2887116}}
| style="text-align:right; background:#9dbec3;" |{{nts|3768977}}
|}

==== Foreign residents as of 2015 ====
There was an increase of 110,358 foreign residents from 2014 to 2015. [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] made the largest proportion of these new foreign residents, whilst [[Nepali people|Nepalese]], [[Filipino people|Filipino]], [[Chinese people|Chinese]] and [[Taiwanese people|Taiwanese]] are also significant in numbers. Together these countries makes up 91,126 or 82.6% of all new residents from 2014 to 2015. The majority of these immigrants will only remain in Japan for a maximum of five years, as many of them have entered Japan in order to complete trainee programmes. Once they complete their programmes, they will be required to return to their home countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/Xlsdl.do?sinfid=000031399575 |title=第１表 国籍・地域別 在留資格（在留目的）別 在留外国人 |publisher=E-stat.go.jp |access-date=2017-04-17 |archive-date=2016-08-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822140158/http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/Xlsdl.do?sinfid=000031399575 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2014, there were 2,121,831 foreigners residing in Japan, 677,019 of whom were long-term residents in Japan, according to national demographics figures. The majority of long-term residents were from Asia, totalling 478,953. Chinese made up the largest portion of them with 215,155, followed by Filipinos with 115,857, and Koreans with 65,711. Thai, Vietnamese, and Taiwanese long-term residents totaled 47,956, and those from other Asian countries totaled 34,274. The Korean figures do not include [[zainichi]] Koreans with ''tokubetsu eijusha'' ("special permanent resident") visas, of whom there were 354,503, of a total of 358,409 of all nationalities with such visas. The number of permanent residents had declined over the previous five years due to high cost of living.<ref name="stat.go">{{cite web|url=http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?lid=000001133760|trans-title=General counter of statistical tables list government statistics|title=統計表一覧 政府統計の総合窓口|access-date=2015-12-26|date=2015-04-24|language=ja|archive-date=2016-01-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101042749/http://www.e-stat.go.jp/SG1/estat/List.do?lid=000001133760|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Foreign residents as of 2021 ====
In 2019, the number of foreign residents of Japan reached a high of 2.93 million before falling to 2.76 million at the end of 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001370057.pdf|publisher=Immigration Services Agency of Japan|title=令和３年末現在における在留外国人数について|access-date=27 September 2022|archive-date=24 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824104344/https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/content/001370057.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The number of foreign workers was 1.46 million in 2018. 29.7% were in the manufacturing sector. 389,000 are from Vietnam and 316,000 are from China.<ref>{{cite web|title=Japan immigration hits record high as foreign talent fills gaps|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-immigration/Japan-immigration-hits-record-high-as-foreign-talent-fills-gaps|website= Nikkei Asian Review |access-date=2 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701222627/https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Japan-immigration/Japan-immigration-hits-record-high-as-foreign-talent-fills-gaps|archive-date=1 July 2019}}</ref>

On April 1, 2019, Japan's revised immigration law was enacted. The revision clarifies and better protects the rights of foreign workers. Japan formally accepts foreign blue-collar workers. This helps reduce labour shortage in certain sectors of the economy. The reform changes the status of foreign workers to regular employees and they can obtain permanent residence status.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |title=New immigration rules to stir up Japan's regional rentals scene — if they work |work=REthink Tokyo - Real Estate Information for Buyers and Investors |url=https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2019/03/27/new-immigration-visa-rules-japan-foreign-workers |publisher= REthink Tokyo |date=27 March 2019|access-date=2 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702124120/https://www.rethinktokyo.com/2019/03/27/new-immigration-visa-rules-japan-foreign-workers |archive-date=2 July 2019 |author1=Adriana }}</ref>

The reform includes a new visa status called {{Nihongo|''tokutei gino''|特定技能|"designated skills"|}}. In order to qualify, applicants must pass a language and skills test, level N4 or higher of the [[Japanese-Language Proficiency Test]]. In the old "Technical Trainee programme" a foreign employee was tied to their employer. This caused numerous cases of exploitation. The revision gives foreign workers more freedom to leave and change their employer.<ref name="auto1"/>

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Japanese nationality data mapped in prefectures in 2020">
File:Percentage of Japan who is of Japanese nationality.svg|Japanese nationality (96.3% total)
File:Percentage of Japan who is of Foreign nationality in 2020.svg|Foreign nationality (1.9% total){{refn|The proportion of foreign nationals is most likely higher due to those that did not declare a nationality. The Statistics of Foreign Residents estimated that there was a total of 2,887,116 (2.3% of the total population) foreign nationals in December 2020, while in the 2020 census carried out in October enumerated 2,402,460 foreign nationals.|group="t"}}
File:Percentage of Japan who had No nationality stated in 2020.svg|No nationality stated (1.7% total)
</gallery>
<references group="t" />

==See also==
* [[Demographic history of Japan before the Meiji Restoration]]
* [[Demography of the Empire of Japan]]
* [[Elderly people in Japan]]
* [[Largest cities in Japan by population by decade]]
* [[Demographics of Tokyo]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=fn|refs=
}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121115193524/http://www.stat.go.jp/data//kokusei/2010/special/english/index.htm Japan Population Census 2010]
* [http://linkexpats.com/Expatriates-in-Japan Expatriates in Japan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608180556/http://linkexpats.com/Expatriates-in-Japan |date=2017-06-08 }}
* [http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/discussionpapers/Chapple.html "The Dilemma Posed by Japan's Population Decline"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050915083338/http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/discussionpapers/Chapple.html |date=2005-09-15 }}—Discussion paper by Julian Chapple in the [http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/ ''electronic journal of contemporary japanese studies''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051108105216/http://www.japanesestudies.org.uk/ |date=2005-11-08 }}, 18 October 2004.
* [http://exodustonorthkorea.wordpress.com/omura-%E3%80%80%E5%A4%A7%E6%9D%91/ The Exodus to North Korea Museum]—Commemorates the story of the 93,340 people who migrated from Japan to North Korea in the period 1959–1984
* [http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=131 Another Tsunami Warning: Caring for Japan's Elderly] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003075155/http://www.nbr.org/research/activity.aspx?id=131 |date=2017-10-03 }}—Brief on what the future of Japan looks like for an increasingly aging population, and if this demographic transition is limited to Japan alone
* Morita, Kiriro and Saskia Sassen. "[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11133410_The_New_Illegal_Immigration_in_Japan_1980-1992 The New Illegal Immigration in Japan, 1980–1992] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211031024004/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11133410_The_New_Illegal_Immigration_in_Japan_1980-1992 |date=2021-10-31 }}". ''[[International Migration Review]]''. Vol. 28, No. 1 (Spring 1994), pp.&nbsp;153–163. {{JSTOR|2547030}}.

{{Japan topics}}

{{Ethnic groups in Japan}}

{{Immigration to Japan}}

{{Asia in topic|Demographics of}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demographics Of Japan}}

[[Category:Demographic economics]]
[[Category:Demographics of Japan| ]]