Japan's birth rate, 1960 to 2024

Japan's fertility rate fell from 2.13 births per woman in 1970 to 1.15 in 2024, still above South Korea's 0.75 but below Germany's 1.36 and the US at 1.63.

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What the data shows

Japan: 2.00 in 1960, 1.15 in 2024 (43% lower). It peaked at 2.23 in 1967.
South Korea: 5.99 in 1960, 0.75 in 2024 (87% lower). Its low point was 0.72 in 2023.
Germany: 2.37 in 1960, 1.36 in 2024 (43% lower). It peaked at 2.54 in 1964.
United States: 3.65 in 1960, 1.63 in 2024 (55% lower). Its low point was 1.62 in 2023.

About this chart

Japan had about 2.0 births per woman in 1960 and 2.13 in 1970, close to the level needed to keep a population stable without immigration. The rate then slid to 1.75 in 1980, 1.54 in 1990 and 1.36 in 2000. It edged up to 1.39 in 2010, but fell to 1.33 in 2020 and 1.15 in 2024. That is the lowest value for Japan in the years charted.

The measure here is the total fertility rate, the average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime at current age-specific birth rates, from the World Bank. It differs from the crude birth rate, which is births per 1,000 people. South Korea fell much further, from 5.99 in 1960 to 0.75 in 2024. Germany (1.36) and the United States (1.63) both ended 2024 above Japan.

The data

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.TFRT.IN), births per woman. Retrieved November 4, 2026.

Japan's birth rate, Births per woman (total fertility rate), 1960–2024
Date	🇯🇵 Japan	🇰🇷 South Korea	🇩🇪 Germany	🇺🇸 United States
1960	2.00	5.99	2.37	3.65
1961	1.96	5.80	2.45	3.62
1962	1.98	5.56	2.44	3.46
1963	2.00	5.33	2.51	3.32
1964	2.05	5.07	2.54	3.19
1965	2.14	4.89	2.50	2.91
1966	1.58	4.78	2.53	2.72
1967	2.23	4.62	2.48	2.56
1968	2.13	4.51	2.38	2.46
1969	2.13	4.45	2.21	2.46
1970	2.13	4.53	2.03	2.48
1971	2.16	4.54	1.92	2.27
1972	2.14	4.12	1.71	2.01
1973	2.14	4.07	1.54	1.88
1974	2.05	3.77	1.51	1.83
1975	1.91	3.43	1.45	1.77
1976	1.85	3.00	1.45	1.74
1977	1.80	2.99	1.40	1.79
1978	1.79	2.64	1.38	1.76
1979	1.77	2.90	1.38	1.81
1980	1.75	2.82	1.44	1.84
1981	1.74	2.57	1.43	1.81
1982	1.77	2.39	1.41	1.83
1983	1.80	2.06	1.33	1.80
1984	1.81	1.74	1.29	1.81
1985	1.76	1.66	1.37	1.84
1986	1.72	1.58	1.43	1.84
1987	1.69	1.53	1.43	1.87
1988	1.66	1.55	1.46	1.93
1989	1.57	1.56	1.42	2.01
1990	1.54	1.57	1.45	2.08
1991	1.53	1.71	1.33	2.06
1992	1.50	1.76	1.29	2.05
1993	1.46	1.65	1.28	2.02
1994	1.50	1.66	1.24	2.00
1995	1.42	1.63	1.25	1.98
1996	1.43	1.57	1.30	1.98
1997	1.39	1.54	1.35	1.97
1998	1.38	1.46	1.36	2.00
1999	1.34	1.43	1.36	2.01
2000	1.36	1.48	1.38	2.06
2001	1.33	1.31	1.35	2.03
2002	1.32	1.18	1.34	2.02
2003	1.29	1.19	1.34	2.05
2004	1.29	1.16	1.36	2.05
2005	1.26	1.08	1.34	2.06
2006	1.32	1.13	1.33	2.11
2007	1.34	1.26	1.37	2.12
2008	1.37	1.19	1.38	2.07
2009	1.37	1.15	1.36	2.00
2010	1.39	1.23	1.39	1.93
2011	1.39	1.24	1.39	1.89
2012	1.41	1.30	1.41	1.88
2013	1.43	1.19	1.42	1.86
2014	1.42	1.21	1.47	1.86
2015	1.45	1.24	1.50	1.84
2016	1.44	1.17	1.60	1.82
2017	1.43	1.05	1.57	1.77
2018	1.42	0.98	1.57	1.73
2019	1.36	0.92	1.54	1.71
2020	1.33	0.84	1.53	1.64
2021	1.30	0.81	1.58	1.66
2022	1.26	0.78	1.46	1.66
2023	1.20	0.72	1.39	1.62
2024	1.15	0.75	1.36	1.63

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Frequently asked questions

What is Japan's birth rate?

Japan's total fertility rate was 1.15 births per woman in 2024, down from 1.33 in 2020 and 1.54 in 1990. The figure is the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime at current birth rates.

How does Japan's fertility rate compare with South Korea's?

Japan's 1.15 in 2024 is higher than South Korea's 0.75. South Korea started far higher, at 5.99 in 1960 against Japan's 2.0, and its rate fell below Japan's between 2000 and 2010.

Is Japan's fertility rate lower than the United States'?

Yes. The United States had 1.63 births per woman in 2024, against Japan's 1.15. In 1960 the US figure was 3.65 and Japan's was 2.0, so both fell, and Japan's rate was below the US rate in every year charted.

Where does this data come from?

World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.TFRT.IN), births per woman. Retrieved November 4, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

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