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.

The total population in Japan was estimated at 123.6 million people in 2024, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - Japan Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Historical dataset showing total population for Japan by year from 1950 to 2025.

Population growth (annual %) in Japan was reported at --0.43565 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

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.

In 1800, the population of Japan was just over 30 million, a figure which would grow by just two million in the first half of the 19th century. However, with the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of the emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan would begin transforming from an isolated feudal island, to a modernized empire built on Western models. The Meiji period would see a rapid rise in the population of Japan, as industrialization and advancements in healthcare lead to a significant reduction in child mortality rates, while the creation overseas colonies would lead to a strong economic boom. However, this growth would slow beginning in 1937, as Japan entered a prolonged war with the Republic of China, which later grew into a major theater of the Second World War. The war was eventually brought to Japan's home front, with the escalation of Allied air raids on Japanese urban centers from 1944 onwards (Tokyo was the most-bombed city of the Second World War). By the war's end in 1945 and the subsequent occupation of the island by the Allied military, Japan had suffered over two and a half million military fatalities, and over one million civilian deaths.

The population figures of Japan were quick to recover, as the post-war “economic miracle” would see an unprecedented expansion of the Japanese economy, and would lead to the country becoming one of the first fully industrialized nations in East Asia. As living standards rose, the population of Japan would increase from 77 million in 1945, to over 127 million by the end of the century. However, growth would begin to slow in the late 1980s, as birth rates and migration rates fell, and Japan eventually grew to have one of the oldest populations in the world. The population would peak in 2008 at just over 128 million, but has consistently fallen each year since then, as the fertility rate of the country remains below replacement level (despite government initiatives to counter this) and the country's immigrant population remains relatively stable. The population of Japan is expected to continue its decline in the coming years, and in 2020, it is estimated that approximately 126 million people inhabit the island country.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Toyohashi, Japan metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Total: From 25 to 54 Years for Japan (LFWA25TTJPM647N) from Jan 1968 to Jun 2025 about working-age, 25 to 54 years, Japan, and population.

In 2023, around **** percent of the total population in Japan was aged 65 years and older. Due to a low birth rate and high longevity, people aged 65 years and over were estimated to make up approximately **** percent of the population in Japan by 2070. The share of children below 15 years old was expected to decrease to around *** percent by that year.

Population, male (% of total population) in Japan was reported at 48.78 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Population, male (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Comprehensive socio-economic dataset for Japan including population demographics, economic indicators, geographic data, and social statistics. This dataset covers key metrics such as GDP, population density, area, capital city, and regional classifications.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Osaka, Japan metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Fukuyama, Japan metro area from 1950 to 2025.

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 July of 2025.

There were 61 700 000 Facebook users in Japan in July 2025, which accounted for 49.5% of its entire population. The majority of them were women - 55.9%. People aged 25 to 34 were the largest user group (14 500 000). The highest difference between men and women occurs within people aged 25 to 34, where women lead by 6 200 000.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Miyazaki, Japan metro area from 1950 to 2025.

The United States had the largest female population of the G7 between 2010 and 2025, reaching ****million that year. On the other hand, Canada had the smallest number of female inhabitants at ***** million. Furthermore, the number of female inhabitants has decreased consistently in Japan, following an overall decrease in the Japanese population. Since 2014, the number of female inhabitants has also decreased in Italy.

The number of Facebook users in Japan amounted to approximately **** million in 2019. This figure was projected to increase to about **** million users by 2025. The total population of Japan was expected to decrease from more than *** million in 2019 to less than *** million by 2024.

The spread of Facebook in Japan

The Japanese version of Facebook launched in 2008, during the same year that Twitter entered the Japanese market. While Facebook was able to supplant domestic social networking services (SNS) such as Mixi and GREE, Twitter showed an even higher user growth in the years that followed. Social media in general became more important over the years, as the widespread adoption of smartphones made mobile communications easier than before. A further factor was the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck Japan in 2011 and disrupted phone lines in many places. The messaging app LINE was developed in a short time period as a response to the earthquake and subsequently, became Japan’s most successful messaging app. Facebook also saw a spike in user numbers during that year, which was further supported by the release of the movie The Social Network to Japanese cinemas in October 2010. Today, the most popular profiles on Facebook each have a following of several million fans.

Facebook usage

A survey from 2019 revealed that three quarters of Japanese used SNS on a daily basis. While this finding indicated a high presence of social media in peoples’ daily lives, penetration rates varied depending on the service. There also exist internal variations among the user bases. In the case of Facebook, breakdowns of the penetration rate by gender and by age group showed that the service was used equally by men and women, but much more commonly by people in their twenties and thirties than other age groups. According to a survey on the willingness to pay (WTP) for the use of SNS, Facebook users on average were willing to pay the highest amount of money among the users of major services.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Labor Statistics: Working-Age Population Total: From 55 to 64 Years for Japan (LFWA55TTJPM647S) from Jan 1970 to Jun 2025 about 55 to 64 years, working-age, Japan, and population.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Kochi, Japan metro area from 1950 to 2025.