Why Is Japan’s Population Decreasing? Written by Andrew Pereira Andrew Pereira is an editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. He covers a variety of topics, with a focus on Indian politics, foreign policy, and global affairs. Andrew Pereira Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 17, 2026 •History Japan’s population has been declining steadily since 2005 primarily because of a decrease in births, which have consistently been lower than the number of deaths per year. The birth rate in Japan dropped from about 19 per 1,000 people in 1970 to just 6 in 2023. Until the mid-1970s, the total fertility rate remained above the replacement level of 2.1 children per woman, the threshold needed for population stability, but that rate declined to a...

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