In Japan, the population sex ratio has seen slight changes over the past decades. In 2021, the number of men was around 94.6 for every 100 women, constituting a decrease from 96.1 in 1950.

What is the sex ratio? The population sex ratio is determined by the sex ratio at birth, different mortality rates between men and women, as well as losses and gains through migration. In the absence of alteration, the sex ratio in human populations is quite constant, with only minor deviations. While the sex ratio at birth is usually 105 to 107, the population sex ratio, which refers to the total number of males for every 100 females, is often below 100. The reason for the shift mostly lies in differing lifestyles and physical constitutions of men and women. In general, women tend to be more resistant to disease throughout life, while men tend to engage in higher risk behavior or violence.

Influences and consequences
The sex ratio at birth and its possible determinants such as gestation environment, climate change, chemical pollution or socio-economic factors have long been subject to scientific research. Recently the impact of natural disasters, like the nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, was presumed to influence the sex ratio at birth. The adult gender ratio has long been recognized as a key population-level determinant of behavior. However, there are many different or competing theories in existing literature about the social impacts of gender imbalance on topics such as violence, family stability, reproduction etc.

In 2023, the male population was estimated to reach approximately 60.46 million, while the female population was estimated at around 63.95 million. These figures were forecasted to shrink to about 24.1 million men and 25.64 million women by 2120.

In 2022, around ** percent of Japanese overseas travelers were men, while about ** percent were women. During the past few years, the ratio changed to become more balanced, as women in their twenties and thirties increasingly started to travel abroad, but was reversed with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 57.810 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 58.249 % for 2016. Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 67.272 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 69.262 % in 1969 and a record low of 57.810 % in 2017. Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 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 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total female population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; 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.

School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) in Japan was reported at 1.0025 % in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Ratio of female to male primary enrollment - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Population, female (% of total population) in Japan was reported at 51.19 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Population, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) in Japan was reported at 1.0034 % in 2019, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Ratio of girls to boys in primary and secondary education - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Japan JP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 0.941 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.931 Ratio for 2014. Japan JP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 0.682 Ratio from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 42 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.941 Ratio in 2015 and a record low of 0.408 Ratio in 1971. Japan JP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Tertiary School Enrollment: Gross 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: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in tertiary education is the ratio of women to men enrolled at tertiary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Japan JP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Primary School Enrollment: Gross data was reported at 1.003 Ratio in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.004 Ratio for 2014. Japan JP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Primary School Enrollment: Gross data is updated yearly, averaging 1.004 Ratio from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2015, with 45 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.006 Ratio in 1996 and a record low of 0.998 Ratio in 1979. Japan JP: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Primary School Enrollment: Gross 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: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for gross enrollment ratio in primary education is the ratio of girls to boys enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

In 2024, the total labor force in Japan was composed of approximately **** million people, among which around ** million were men and close to **** million were women. While the number of men in the workforce declined, the number of women in the labor force increased, resulting in an increase in the total labor force.

Japan JP: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Net data was reported at 99.921 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 99.291 % for 2014. Japan JP: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Net data is updated yearly, averaging 98.310 % from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2015, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99.921 % in 2015 and a record low of 93.553 % in 1978. Japan JP: School Enrollment: Secondary: Female: % Net 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: Education Statistics. Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The representation of women in Japanese higher education continues to grow, with female students comprising **** percent of university enrollments in 2024. This marks a steady increase over the past decade, reflecting changing societal attitudes and educational opportunities for women in Japan. Study field preferences Female students enrolled at universities in Japan exhibit a strong interest in the ***************, with the highest number of female undergraduates majoring in the subject in 2024. At the postgraduate level, the *********** field had the highest number of female students in the same year. When it comes to gender distribution, ******************************************among others, attracted a higher share of women than men in postgraduate studies. Employment prospects The rising female university enrollment is translating into positive career outcomes. In 2024, over 80 percent of female university graduates in Japan entered employment after completing their studies. It is worth noting that this proportion was much lower among women with postgraduate degrees, with below ** percent of those with master’s and doctoral diplomas securing employment after graduation.

In 2023, around 81.2 percent of female students who enrolled in universities in Japan entered employment after graduation. By comparison, about 0.1 percent of female students who graduated from lower secondary schools or compulsory education schools began to work in that year.

As of February 2025, around ** percent of registered members of the All Japan Judo Federation were male. Gender discrepancies in terms of the number of active sports participants is common in martial arts disciplines.

In 2023, there were close to **** million people aged 15 years and older in Tokyo Prefecture, of which about ** percent were women. The population aged 15 years and older in the prefecture decreased in 2021 for the first time in the last decade.

According to a survey conducted in 2020, the most popular matchmaking app among both men and women in Japan was Pairs, with almost ** percent of male and close to ** percent of female respondents having used that app. Tinder, the only non-domestic app in the ranking, was primarily used by men in Japan.

In 2024, around **** percent of the male population aged 15 years and older in Japan were employed, while **** percent of the female population were in employment. The ****** employment rate reached a record high.

In 2024, around **** percent of the male population and **** percent of the female population aged 15 years and above in Japan were in the workforce nationally. The labor force participation rate among women reached the highest share since 1973. Female employment rate Japan’s employment rate, the share of people who are employed among the total population aged 15 years and above, rose to **** percent in the same year. It was mainly a higher share of ***** in employment that contributed to the overall increase in the employment rate in 2024. Despite the female employment rate reaching an all-time high, a significantly larger share of women, over **** of female employees, were in non-regular employment, such as part-time and temporary work. Distinctive work patterns of women shaped by Japan’s labor market and corporate culture are one of the reasons for its gender gap when it comes to equal economic participation. Women’s work patterns One of these work patterns is the M-shaped curve of female labor participation. The curve reflects the trend that female labor force participation peaks in the age group of ** to **-year-olds and then falls, as women drop out of the workforce upon life events such as marriage and childbirth, only to reenter the workforce at a later stage. This curve has gradually flattened in recent years, as fewer women left the workforce in their ********. However, the so-called L-shaped curve of women in regular employment suggests that instead, fewer women stay in regular employment. The percentage of women working in regular full-time jobs peaks in the age bracket of ** to **-year-olds and then declines steadily. This makes women less likely to enter leadership positions.

In 2020, the share of women among agricultural committee members in Japan amounted to **** percent. Since 2000, the share of women in agricultural committees increased gradually. The increase of female committee members since 2015 was boosted further by the *** Basic Plan for Gender Equality. The act was implemented to empower women and promote gender equality in rural and regional environments.