In Japan, the population sex ratio has seen slight changes over the past decades. In 2023, there were around **** men for every 100 women. The highest point was recorded in 1981, with around **** men for every 100 women. 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 *** to ***, 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 2024, the total population in Japan slightly decreased to just below *** million people compared to the previous year, with the female population reaching around **** million, as compared to **** million men. The oldest population in the world  Japanese society is facing severe demographic problems such as decreasing birthrates, remaining under *** million births annually recently, and a thereby aging population. The country’s average age lies at around ** years, making its population the oldest in the world. Elderly people aged 65 years and older accounted for about ** percent of the population in 2024. According to a forecast, this age group would make up approximately ** 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, around ***** million Japanese require long-term care, leading to national benefit expenses of over ** trillion yen annually, including in-home and community-based services.

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.

Japan JP: Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data was reported at 7,950,363.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7,993,231.000 Person for 2016. Japan JP: Population: Female: Aged 0-14 data is updated yearly, averaging 11,629,233.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13,688,228.000 Person in 1960 and a record low of 7,950,363.000 Person in 2017. Japan JP: Population: 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.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Sum; 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 April of 2026.

In 2024, around **** percent of Japanese overseas travelers were women, while about **** percent were men. This was the first time in the past decade that the number of women traveling abroad was higher than that of men.

Japan: Ratio of female to male students in secondary school: The latest value from 2019 is 1 percent, unchanged from 1 percent in 2018. In comparison, the world average is 1.00 percent, based on data from 119 countries. Historically, the average for Japan from 1971 to 2019 is 1.02 percent. The minimum value, 1 percent, was reached in 2018 while the maximum of 1.02 percent was recorded in 1972.

JP: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data was reported at 5.800 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.781 % for 2016. JP: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5.900 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.901 % in 2005 and a record low of 3.801 % in 1960. JP: Population: Female: Ages 55-59: % 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 55 to 59 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.; ;

Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) in Japan was reported at 1.051 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on April of 2026.

JP: Population: Female: Ages 80 and Above: % of Female Population data was reported at 10.238 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.966 % for 2016. JP: Population: Female: Ages 80 and Above: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 2.674 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.238 % in 2017 and a record low of 0.906 % in 1960. JP: Population: Female: Ages 80 and Above: % 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 80 and above 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.; ;

The representation of women in Japanese higher education continues to grow, with female students comprising ** percent of university enrollments in 2025. 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 social sciences, with the highest number of female undergraduates majoring in the subject in 2025. At the postgraduate level, the engineering field had the highest number of female students in the same year. When it comes to gender distribution, humanities, education, medicine, and art, 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.

Population, female (% of total population) in Japan was reported at 51.22 % in 2024, 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 February of 2026.

Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in Japan was reported at 77.24 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Ratio of female to male labor participation rate - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on April of 2026.

JP: Population: Female: Ages 0-4: % of Female Population data was reported at 3.948 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.978 % for 2016. JP: Population: Female: Ages 0-4: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5.519 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.762 % in 1974 and a record low of 3.948 % in 2017. JP: Population: Female: Ages 0-4: % 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 0 to 4 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.; ;

Graph and download economic data for Ratio of Female to Male Secondary School Enrollment for Japan (SEENRSECOFMZSJPN) from 1971 to 2019 about enrolled, secondary schooling, secondary, ratio, males, females, Japan, and education.

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 February of 2026.

In 2025, the overall gender gap index score in Japan reached 0.67 points, shwoing a slight increase over the past three years. Japan ranked 118th out of 148 countries covered by the global gender gap index, placing the country far behind other G7 nations. Reasons behind Japan’s low ranking  Japan’s gender gap score in education and health indicated a closed or almost closed gender gap. However, in terms of political empowerment, Japan ranked well below the average global score, placing it among the lowest ranks within East Asia and the Pacific region. A high disparity between men and women in economic participation was another crucial reason for Japan’s poor ranking compared to other industrial nations. The low scores were mainly due to the nation’s small number of female parliamentarians, as well as a low ratio of women in managerial positions. Women in Japan Modern Japanese women enjoy more freedom, have better access to education, and have broader job opportunities compared to previous generations. Yet, traditional gender roles and male favoritism are still pervasive in Japanese culture. Japan's ongoing discussion on gender equality measures, or the lack thereof, is often highlighted in local and international media. The Japanese government currently aims to achieve a significant increase in female proportion in the political, judicial, and economic fields by the end of 2025, targeting 30 percent or more of the female share in a broad range of positions. This might fast-track the long-overdue generational change, which seems necessary to incite diversity in the country.

In 2025, 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 female employment rate reached a record high.

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.

This dataset contains municipality-level population statistics in Japan for the year 2020, disaggregated by gender and age group.

The data covers all Japanese cities, wards, towns, and villages, and is based on official public statistics. Each record represents the population count for a specific municipality, gender, and age group, enabling detailed demographic analysis at a fine geographic resolution.

The dataset is designed for multidimensional analysis and visualization, making it suitable for exploring regional demographic differences, population structure by age and gender, and spatial distribution patterns across Japan.

Key Features

• Coverage: Japan (all municipalities: cities, wards, towns, and villages)
• Year: 2020
• Dimensions:
  • Municipality
  • Gender
  • Age group
• Granularity: Municipality-level (city / ward / town / village)
• Format optimized for data analysis and visualization workflows

Interactive Visualization Demo

An interactive geographic dashboard built using DC.js is available at the following URL:

👉 https://sakanaclub.xsrv.jp/laravel-sports-hp/public/index.php/dashboard-dc-pub?data=ssdse-a-population&layout=gmap

This demo combines map-based visualization with linked multidimensional charts, allowing users to filter by municipality, gender, and age group while instantly observing spatial and demographic patterns across Japan.

Intended Use

• Demographic and population structure analysis
• Regional and municipal-level comparison
• Geospatial and map-based visualization
• Data visualization and dashboard development
• Educational and research purposes