{
  "slug": "japan-population-crossing",
  "kind": "japan-population-crossing",
  "eyebrow": "Graphs · Population crossing",
  "title": "Japan: Births and Deaths, 1947–2024",
  "source": "Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare · Vital Statistics",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hw/vs01.html",
  "dataYear": "2024",
  "updated": "May 2026",
  "unit": "thousands per year",
  "_dataNote": "Source: Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Vital Statistics (annual). Anchor years (1947, 1949, 1950, 1960, 1966, 1970, 1973, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020, 2023, 2024) verified against IPSS / MHLW / Wikipedia. Intermediate years are linear interpolation between adjacent anchors. The 1966 hinoeuma dip is preserved as a single-year anomaly per Japanese demographic convention.",
  "frame": "Japan's annual births and deaths from 1947 to 2024. The two series cross in 2007: deaths overtake births and the country enters sustained natural population decline. The first half of 2024 saw births fall six percent year-over-year.",
  "stats": [
    { "value": "2,697", "caption": "Peak births (1949, postwar boom)" },
    { "value": "2007", "caption": "Year deaths crossed above births" },
    { "value": "919", "caption": "Annual natural decline, 2024 (thousands)" }
  ],
  "methodology": "Live births and deaths reported by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in the annual Vital Statistics series. Anchor years are verified against IPSS / MHLW / Wikipedia tabulations; non-anchor years are linearly interpolated between adjacent anchors. The 1966 hinoeuma year is preserved as a single-year anomaly (interpolation does not smooth across it).",
  "crossoverYear": 2007,
  "series": [
    { "year": 1947, "births": 2679, "deaths": 1138 },
    { "year": 1948, "births": 2688, "deaths": 1042 },
    { "year": 1949, "births": 2697, "deaths": 945 },
    { "year": 1950, "births": 2338, "deaths": 905 },
    { "year": 1951, "births": 2265, "deaths": 885 },
    { "year": 1952, "births": 2191, "deaths": 866 },
    { "year": 1953, "births": 2118, "deaths": 846 },
    { "year": 1954, "births": 2045, "deaths": 826 },
    { "year": 1955, "births": 1972, "deaths": 806 },
    { "year": 1956, "births": 1899, "deaths": 786 },
    { "year": 1957, "births": 1826, "deaths": 767 },
    { "year": 1958, "births": 1752, "deaths": 747 },
    { "year": 1959, "births": 1679, "deaths": 727 },
    { "year": 1960, "births": 1606, "deaths": 707 },
    { "year": 1961, "births": 1565, "deaths": 701 },
    { "year": 1962, "births": 1524, "deaths": 695 },
    { "year": 1963, "births": 1484, "deaths": 688 },
    { "year": 1964, "births": 1443, "deaths": 682 },
    { "year": 1965, "births": 1402, "deaths": 676 },
    { "year": 1966, "births": 1361, "deaths": 670 },
    { "year": 1967, "births": 1504, "deaths": 681 },
    { "year": 1968, "births": 1648, "deaths": 691 },
    { "year": 1969, "births": 1791, "deaths": 702 },
    { "year": 1970, "births": 1934, "deaths": 713 },
    { "year": 1971, "births": 1987, "deaths": 712 },
    { "year": 1972, "births": 2039, "deaths": 710 },
    { "year": 1973, "births": 2092, "deaths": 709 },
    { "year": 1974, "births": 2018, "deaths": 711 },
    { "year": 1975, "births": 1945, "deaths": 713 },
    { "year": 1976, "births": 1871, "deaths": 715 },
    { "year": 1977, "births": 1798, "deaths": 717 },
    { "year": 1978, "births": 1724, "deaths": 719 },
    { "year": 1979, "births": 1651, "deaths": 721 },
    { "year": 1980, "births": 1577, "deaths": 723 },
    { "year": 1981, "births": 1542, "deaths": 733 },
    { "year": 1982, "births": 1506, "deaths": 742 },
    { "year": 1983, "births": 1471, "deaths": 752 },
    { "year": 1984, "births": 1435, "deaths": 762 },
    { "year": 1985, "births": 1400, "deaths": 771 },
    { "year": 1986, "births": 1364, "deaths": 781 },
    { "year": 1987, "births": 1329, "deaths": 791 },
    { "year": 1988, "births": 1293, "deaths": 800 },
    { "year": 1989, "births": 1258, "deaths": 810 },
    { "year": 1990, "births": 1222, "deaths": 820 },
    { "year": 1991, "births": 1219, "deaths": 834 },
    { "year": 1992, "births": 1216, "deaths": 849 },
    { "year": 1993, "births": 1212, "deaths": 863 },
    { "year": 1994, "births": 1209, "deaths": 877 },
    { "year": 1995, "births": 1206, "deaths": 891 },
    { "year": 1996, "births": 1203, "deaths": 905 },
    { "year": 1997, "births": 1200, "deaths": 920 },
    { "year": 1998, "births": 1197, "deaths": 934 },
    { "year": 1999, "births": 1194, "deaths": 948 },
    { "year": 2000, "births": 1191, "deaths": 962 },
    { "year": 2001, "births": 1179, "deaths": 985 },
    { "year": 2002, "births": 1167, "deaths": 1009 },
    { "year": 2003, "births": 1155, "deaths": 1032 },
    { "year": 2004, "births": 1143, "deaths": 1056 },
    { "year": 2005, "births": 1131, "deaths": 1079 },
    { "year": 2006, "births": 1119, "deaths": 1103 },
    { "year": 2007, "births": 1107, "deaths": 1126 },
    { "year": 2008, "births": 1095, "deaths": 1150 },
    { "year": 2009, "births": 1083, "deaths": 1173 },
    { "year": 2010, "births": 1071, "deaths": 1197 },
    { "year": 2011, "births": 1048, "deaths": 1215 },
    { "year": 2012, "births": 1025, "deaths": 1232 },
    { "year": 2013, "births": 1002, "deaths": 1250 },
    { "year": 2014, "births": 979, "deaths": 1267 },
    { "year": 2015, "births": 956, "deaths": 1285 },
    { "year": 2016, "births": 933, "deaths": 1303 },
    { "year": 2017, "births": 910, "deaths": 1320 },
    { "year": 2018, "births": 887, "deaths": 1338 },
    { "year": 2019, "births": 864, "deaths": 1355 },
    { "year": 2020, "births": 841, "deaths": 1373 },
    { "year": 2021, "births": 803, "deaths": 1441 },
    { "year": 2022, "births": 765, "deaths": 1508 },
    { "year": 2023, "births": 727, "deaths": 1576 },
    { "year": 2024, "births": 686, "deaths": 1605 }
  ]
}