Japan Demographics

Population of Japan (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Japan

Japan Population
122,427,731
see live
Yearly Change
−0.55%
Global Share
1.5%
Global Rank
12

Median Age

The median age in Japan is 50.2 years (2026).

Fertility in Japan

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.23
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Japan

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
85.1
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
88.2
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
82.1
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Japan


Infant Mortality
1.6
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
2.2
(per 1,000 live births)


Japan Urban Population

Currently, 92.4% of the population of Japan is urban (113,138,719 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Japan is 336 people per km² (870 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 364,485 km² (140,728 sq. miles).

Largest Cities in Japan

The 30 largest of 256 cities, ranked by population at the census of October 1, 2025 (by Statistics Bureau of Japan).

RankCityPopulation
1Tokyo9,953,160
2Yokohama3,754,840
3Osaka2,808,624
4Nagoya2,345,892
5Sapporo1,964,034
6Fukuoka1,663,892
7Kawasaki1,561,132
8Kobe1,497,630
9Kyoto1,431,713
10SaitamaUrawa, Ōmiya, Yono, Iwatsuki1,345,016
11Hiroshima1,172,423
12Sendai1,096,951
13Chiba994,970
14Kitakyushu904,289
15Sakai803,333
16Hamamatsu765,750
17Niigata759,618
18Kumamoto730,854
19Sagamihara712,105
20Okayama707,916
21Shizuoka659,620
22Funabashi650,635
23Kawaguchi592,007
24Kagoshima580,970
25Hachioji574,087
26Himeji518,311
27Utsunomiya511,733
28Matsuyama497,041
29Matsudo496,714
30Ichikawa494,207
See all 256 cities in Japan

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.