The median age of the population in Japan has steadily been increasing since 1950 and is projected to be around 47.7 years old in 2020. As of 2021, the median age of Japan is the second highest in the world, behind the Principality of Monaco. The elderly in Japan An improved quality of life and regular health checks are just 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 in the decade between 1945 and 1955. As life expectancy continues to increase, Japan expects difficulties caring for the older generation in the future. Shortages in the service sector are already a major concern, with demand for nurses and care workers increasing. Fertility and birth rates The fertility rate among Japan’s population has been around 1.4 children per woman since 2010. Apart from a small baby boom in the early seventies, the crude birth rate of Japan has been declining since 1950 and is expected to be as low as 7.5 births per thousand people in 2020. With falling birth rates and such a large share of its inhabitants reaching their later years, Japan’s total population is expected to continue declining.

Over the last decade, Japan’s population has aged more and more, to the point where more than a quarter of Japanese were 65 years and older in 2022. Population growth has stopped and even reversed, since it’s been in the red for several years now.

It’s getting old

With almost 30 percent of its population being elderly inhabitants, Japan is considered the “oldest” country in the world today. Japan boasts a high life expectancy, in fact, the Japanese tend to live longer than the average human worldwide. The increase of the aging population is accompanied by a decrease of the total population caused by a sinking birth rate. Japan’s fertility rate has been below the replacement rate for many decades now, mostly due to economic uncertainty and thus a decreasing number of marriages.

Are the Japanese invincible?

There is no real mystery surrounding the ripe old age of so many Japanese. Their high average age is very likely due to high healthcare standards, nutrition, and an overall high standard of living – all of which could be adopted by other industrial nations as well. But with high age comes less capacity, and Japan’s future enemy might not be an early death, but rather a struggling social network.

Monaco is the country with the highest median age in the world. The population has a median age of around 57 years, which is around six years more than in Japan and Saint Pierre and Miquelon – the other countries that make up the top three. Southern European countries make up a large part of the top 20, with Italy, Slovenia, Greece, San Marino, Andorra, and Croatia all making the list. Low infant mortality means higher life expectancy Monaco and Japan also have the lowest infant mortality rates in the world, which contributes to the calculation of a higher life expectancy because fewer people are dying in the first years of life. Indeed, many of the nations with a high median age also feature on the list of countries with the highest average life expectancy, such as San Marino, Japan, Italy, and Lichtenstein. Demographics of islands and small countries Many smaller countries and island nations have populations with a high median age, such as Guernsey and the Isle of Man, which are both island territories within the British Isles. An explanation for this could be that younger people leave to seek work or education opportunities, while others choose to relocate there for retirement.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Total: From 15 to 64 Years for Japan (LFWA64TTJPM647S) from Jan 1970 to Apr 2025 about working-age, 15 to 64 years, Japan, and population.

Japan JP: Population: Female: Ages 25-29: % of Female Population data was reported at 4.844 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.936 % for 2016. Japan JP: Population: Female: Ages 25-29: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 6.968 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.438 % in 1974 and a record low of 4.844 % in 2017. Japan JP: Population: Female: Ages 25-29: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 25 to 29 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Japan JP: Population: Working Age: Age 15-74 data was reported at 86,797,720.144 Person in 2026. This records a decrease from the previous number of 87,636,645.464 Person for 2025. Japan JP: Population: Working Age: Age 15-74 data is updated yearly, averaging 91,707,366.827 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2026, with 67 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99,646,204.722 Person in 2000 and a record low of 64,245,345.834 Person in 1960. Japan JP: Population: Working Age: Age 15-74 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.OECD.EO: Labour Force: Forecast: OECD Member: Annual. POP1574 - Working-age population, age 15-74 Population data are based on data reported to the OECD Statistics Directorate by member countries via an annual national accounts questionnaire. For the projection period, series are extended using Eurostat projections (EUROPOP2023) for European countries, and United Nations (WPP2022) for other countries. The data is further adjusted by the OECD.

Japan IPSS: Median Mortality (MM): Mediam Birth Rate (MBR): Median Age data was reported at 56.600 NA in 2070. This records an increase from the previous number of 56.500 NA for 2069. Japan IPSS: Median Mortality (MM): Mediam Birth Rate (MBR): Median Age data is updated yearly, averaging 54.000 NA from Dec 2020 (Median) to 2070, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.600 NA in 2070 and a record low of 48.500 NA in 2020. Japan IPSS: Median Mortality (MM): Mediam Birth Rate (MBR): Median Age data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G005: 2023 Population Estimates: 2020 Census: National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

In 2023, approximately *** million people within the age group of 15 to 64 years were counted in Tokyo Prefecture, an increase from about *** million people recorded in 2020. Over *** million inhabitants in the metropolis were aged 65 years and older.

Japan: Population ages 65 and above, percent of total: The latest value from 2023 is 29.56 percent, an increase from 29.4 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 10.17 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Japan from 1960 to 2023 is 15.14 percent. The minimum value, 5.74 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 29.56 percent was recorded in 2023.

Japan Population Census: Female: Age 0 to 4 Years data was reported at 2,436,785.000 Person in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,586,167.000 Person for 2010. Japan Population Census: Female: Age 0 to 4 Years data is updated yearly, averaging 4,070,469.500 Person from Dec 1920 (Median) to 2015, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,558,029.000 Person in 1950 and a record low of 2,436,785.000 Person in 2015. Japan Population Census: Female: Age 0 to 4 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistical Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.G002: Population: Annual.

This scatter chart displays urban population (people) against median age (year) in Japan. The data is about countries per year.

In 2023, the total population in Japan slightly decreased to just below 125 million people compared to the previous year, with the female population reaching around 63.9 million, as compared to 60.5 million men. The oldest population in the world  Japanese society is facing severe demographic problems such as decreasing birthrates, remaining under one million births annually recently, and a thereby aging population. The country’s average age lies at around 48 years, making its population the oldest in the world. Elderly people aged 65 years and older accounted for about 29 percent of the population in 2023. According to a forecast, the age group 65 years and older would make up approximately 39 percent of the Japanese population by 2070. Challenges with the demographic shift The rapid aging of the society poses significant economic and sociopolitical challenges to the country, as the workforce will continue to shrink while increasingly more elderly will receive long-term support. Currently, close to seven million Japanese require long-term care, leading to national benefit expenses of over 14 trillion yen annually, including in-home and community-based services.

Japan JP: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data was reported at 66.487 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.290 % for 2016. Japan JP: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data is updated yearly, averaging 47.350 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.487 % in 2017 and a record low of 43.299 % in 1992. Japan JP: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 12.256 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.304 % for 2016. JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 18.671 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 29.143 % in 1960 and a record low of 12.256 % in 2017. JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 0-14 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

The statistic shows the total population in Japan from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the total population of Japan amounted to around 123.89 million inhabitants. See the figures for the population of South Korea for comparison. Total population in Japan From steadily low fertility rates to a growing elderly population, it is no secret that Japan’s population is shrinking. Population growth rates jump around a little, but are currently following a declining trend. The post-war baby boom generation is now in the 65-and-over age group, and the percentage of the population in that category is expected to keep growing, as is indicated by a high median age and high life expectancy. Japan already has the highest percentage of its population over 65 in the world, and the aging population puts some pressure on the Japanese government to provide welfare services for more people as rising numbers leave the workforce. However, the amount of jobs opened up for the younger generations by the older generations leaving the workforce means that unemployment is kept to a minimum. Despite a jump in unemployment after the global recession hit in 2008, rates were almost back to pre-recession rates by 2013. Another factor affecting Japan is the number of emigrants to other countries. The United States absorbs a number of emigrants worldwide, so despite a stagnating birth rate, the U.S. has seen a steady rise in population.

In 2023, the average age of persons engaged in farming in Japan stood at 68.7 years. The figure increased significantly throughout the past decade, compared to 66.2 years in 2010. Japan's agricultural workforce is shrinking Japan's aging population and low birth rate have produced a labor shortage in many industries. Since agricultural work is physically demanding and barely profitable and few young people are willing to inherit their parent's farm or enter the sector as newcomers, the number of commercial farm households consequently continues to decrease. The younger generations often prefer to move to metropolitan areas which provide work, convenience, and a modern lifestyle. Further obstacles to the Japanese agricultural sector Its geography complicates agriculture in Japan as the island nation regularly suffers from natural disasters. Typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis cause high damage costs to the agriculture, forestry, and fishery industry every year.Furthermore, only about 20 percent of the mountainous archipelago is suitable for cultivation, and the area of cultivated land keeps shrinking as more and more land is used for housing.

This horizontal bar chart displays median age (year) by countries yearly using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Japan. The data is about countries per year.

According to a projection made in 2023, it was forecast that the number of people aged 65 years or older in Japan would increase from about **** million in 2024 to around ** million people by 2033. By contrast, the number of children, as well as the working-age population, was forecast to shrink in the same period.

This scatter chart displays female population (people) against median age (year) in Japan. The data is about countries per year.

In 2023, the median age of the population in Japan was 49.1 years, the highest throughout East Asia. Comparatively, the median age of the population in Mongolia amounted to an estimated 27 years that year.