Editing Demographics of Japan (section)

==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
|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 2017, Japan was the world's [[list of countries and dependencies by population|eleventh-most populous country]]. The total population had declined by 0.8 percent from the time of the census five years previously, 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 {{as of | 2016 | lc = on}} (it stood at 81.25&nbsp;as of 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 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. {{As of|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>

The population consisted of 47,062,743 households, with 78.7% in urban areas (July 2000). High population density; 329.5 people per square kilometer for total area; 1,523 persons per square kilometer for habitable land. More than 50% of the population lives on 2% of the land. (July 1993).<ref name="loc" /> According to research in 2009, the population to land density ratio has 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%. However, 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>{{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>

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> Over the period of 2010 to 2015, the 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. The nation's population reached 128,057,352 Japanese people by early 2010. However, the long-lasting effects of Japanese economic crisis during the [[Great Recession]] strongly slowed down immigration rates in Japan in 2010s.

In March 2011, Japan suffered from triple disasters ([[2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami|earthquake, tsunami]], and the [[Fukushima nuclear disaster]]) that 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 end of [[World War II]].

According to studies from the [[Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation]], 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 |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 1914 (at the time of [[World War I]], the [[Spanish flu pandemic]], and the [[1923 Great Kantō earthquake|Great Kanto earthquake]]).{{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>


{{GraphChart
| width = 500
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=year
| yAxisTitle= million
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

| y1=  43.4,43.8, 44.4, 45, 45.5, 46.1, 46.6, 47, 47.4, 48, 48.6, 49.2, 49.9, 50.6, 51.3, 52, 52.8, 53.5, 54.1, 54.7, 55, 56, 56.7, 57.4, 58.1, 58.9, 59.7, 60.7, 61.7, 62.6, 63.5, 64.5, 65.5, 65.8, 66.8, 67.7, 68.7, 69.6, 70.4, 70.6, 70.9, 71.5, 72.8, 73.5, 74, 73.9, 72.4, 75.3, 78, 79.5, 81.3, 82.9, 84.2, 85.5, 86.7, 88, 89, 90, 90.7, 91.5, 92.4, 94.1, 94.9, 95.8, 96.8, 97.8, 98.9, 99.8, 100.7, 102.1, 103.2, 104.3, 105.7, 107.2, 108.7, 110.2, 111.6, 112.8, 113.9, 114.5, 115.5, 116.3, 117.2, 118, 118.8, 119.5, 120.3, 120.9, 121.8, 122.4, 123, 123.4, 123.9, 124.4, 124.8, 125.3, 125.5, 125.8, 126.1, 126.4, 126.6, 126.8, 127.2, 127.4, 127.7, 127.8, 127.8, 127.9, 128, 128.1, 128, 128.1, 127.8, 127.7, 127.4, 127.3, 127.1, 127.1, 127, 126.8, 126.6, 126.3, 125.7, 124.8

| y1Title= population (million)

}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 500
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= ‰
| yAxisMax= 25
| yAxisMin= -10
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=0
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
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| type = line
| x = 1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020,2021, 2022

| y1= 10.5,11.6,13.0,12.3,13.5,10.7,10.1,10.6,13.9,14.5,13.8,14.5,15.5,15.3,15.6,14.9,14.4,12.7,12.5,6.4,10.2,12.0,12.4,11.9,12.2,12.6,14.5,15.5,13.7,14.4,12.9,14.2,13.2,15.2,13.8,11.9,14.9,12.4,13.7,9.4,8.8,12.9,15.4,14.4,13.9,11.8,-5.9,7.7,19.7,21.8,21.5,17.3,15.4,14.5,12.6,11.9,11.7,10.5,9.0,10.6,10.1,9.7,9.6,9.6,10.4,10.8,11.5,7.1,12.7,11.8,11.7,11.9,12.6,12.8,12.7,12.0,10.7,10.0,9.4,8.8,8.2,7.3,6.9,6.8,6.5,6.3,5.6,5.2,4.9,4.3,3.7,3.3,3.2,2.9,2.5,2.9,2.2,2.5,2.2,2.1,1.6,1.8,1.6,1.4,0.9,0.7,-0.2,0.1,0.1,-0.4,-0.6,-1.0,-1.6,-1.7,-1.9,-2.1,-2.3, -2.6, -3.2, -3.6, -4.2, -4.2, -5.0, -6.3

| y2= ,-1.4,-1.4,1.2,0.5,2.3,0.8,-0.4,-4.6,-1.8,-0.3,-0.4,-0.7,0.5,0,0.5,0.1,2.4,0.5,5.6,-3.7,5.8,0,0.7,0.3,0.2,-0.2,1,1.2,0.6,0.8,1.2,2.2,-10.1,0.9,1.2,7.9,-7.7,-2.9,-6.2,-4.1,17.2,-20.5,-5,-6.9,-13.3,-20,36.2,15.2,-3.2,0.6,5.6,-3.1,0.3,1.1,2.6,2.9,-2.9,-0.4,-1.7,-0.5,0.9,6.6,-0.2,-0.1,-0.3,-6.9,8.3,-3.2,1.5,-0.8,-6.5,6.2,1.3,1.3,1.2,5.2,-2.6,0.3,-3.1,0.1,2.1,-1.6,0.1,0.2,-0.8,0.6,0.3,2.2,0.4,1.2,0.4,1,0.8,1,0.7,-0.4,-0.2,0.2,0.6,0.3,-0.1,0.8,1,1.3,-0.3,0.3,0.6,1.3,0.9,0.4,1.2,-0.3,0.1,0.4,0.8,1.2,2.1,2.3,2.2,2.7,1.3,0.4

| y1Title=Natural change (per 1000)
| y2Title=Crude migration change (per 1000)
}}

{{GraphChart
| width = 500
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= TFR
| yAxisMin=0
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=2.1
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

| y1= 4.73,4.69,5.01,4.97,4.83,4.61,4.52,4.38,5.03,5.13,5.16,5.01,5.19,5.08,5.07,5.14,4.91,4.98,4.95,4.83,4.77,5.35,5.22,5.12,5.26,5.07,5.10,5.19,5.00,5.09,4.87,4.70,4.76,4.86,4.63,4.39,4.59,4.34,4.45,3.88,3.80,4.11,4.36,4.18,4.11,3.95,3.11,3.37,4.54,4.40,4.32,3.65,3.26,2.98,2.69,2.48,2.37,2.22,2.04,2.11,2.04,2.00,1.96,1.98,2.00,2.05,2.14,1.58,2.23,2.13,2.13,2.13,2.16,2.14,2.14,2.05,1.91,1.85,1.80,1.79,1.77,1.75,1.74,1.77,1.80,1.81,1.76,1.72,1.69,1.66,1.57,1.54,1.53,1.50,1.46,1.50,1.42,1.43,1.39,1.38,1.34,1.36,1.33,1.32,1.29,1.29,1.26,1.32,1.34,1.37,1.37,1.39,1.39,1.41,1.43,1.42, 1.45, 1.44, 1.43, 1.42, 1.36, 1.34, 1.30

| y1Title=Total Fertility Rate

}}
{{GraphChart
| width = 500
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= 
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

| y1= 153.8,155.0,149.9,154.0,152.4,151.9,151.7,153.6,151.3,158.0,167.3,161.2,158.4,154.2,152.1,158.5,160.4,170.3,173.2,188.6,170.5,165.7,168.3,
166.4,163.4,156.2,142.4,137.5,141.6,136.7,142.1,124.1,131.5,117.5,121.3,124.8,106.7,116.7,105.8,114.4,106.2,90.0,84.1,85.5,86.6,,,,76.7,
61.7,62.5,60.1,57.5,49.4,48.9,44.6,39.8,40.6,40.0,34.5,33.7,30.7,28.6,26.4,23.2,20.4,18.5,19.3,14.9,15.3,14.2,13.1,12.4,11.7,11.3,10.8,10.0,9.3,8.9,8.4,7.9,7.5,7.1,6.6,6.2,6.0,5.5,5.2,5.0,4.8,4.6,4.6,4.4,4.5,4.3,4.2,4.3,3.8,3.7,3.6,3.4,3.2,3.1,3.0,3.0,2.8,2.8,2.6,2.6,2.6,2.4,2.3,2.3,2.2,2.1,,1.9,,1.9,,,,1.6

| y1Title= Infant Mortality (per 1000 births)

}}

{{Clear}}