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Fertility & birth rates in India and Japan

Updated on by Georank team

India has an annual birth rate of 16.1 births per 1,000 people, compared to 6 for Japan. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.98 in India and 1.2 in Japan — 39.2% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -66.6% in India and by -40% in Japan — in 1960, it was 5.92 and 2, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • India is ranked 93/196 by birth rate compared to 192/196 for Japan.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 21.2 years in India, compared to 30.7 years in Japan.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 27.7 in India — it's 32.1 in Japan.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 14.1 in India vs 1.74 in Japan.
  • In India, 26.3% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 18.6% in Japan.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was +0.95% in India and -0.7% in Japan.

Birth rate data compared

India Japan
Fertility rate 1.98 1.2
Birth rate 16.1 6
Birth rate rank 93/196 192/196
Age at first childbirth 21.2 years 30.7 years
Average age at childbearing 27.7 years 32.1 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 12 1.54
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 131.1 41
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 17.9 10.5
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 26.3% 18.6%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 56.4% 52.8%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 89.4% 99.8%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.08% 0.003%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 1.73% 0.08%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 2.45% 0.18%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 2.77% 0.24%
Population change due to births and deaths +13,711,993 -871,617
Natural population change rank 1/196 195/196
Natural population change rate +0.95% -0.7%
Population growth +0.89% -0.43%
Population growth rank 109/197 182/197
Life expectancy 72.5 years 85 years

Fertility rate in India vs Japan chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in India was 1.98 children per woman in 2023, compared to 1.2 in Japan in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

Check India vs Japan population clock for a dynamic visualization of the changing population.

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

India
Factual

UN forecast
Japan
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
India Japan
1960 5.92 2
1961 5.94 1.96
1962 5.95 1.98
1963 5.97 2
1964 5.98 2.05
1965 5.94 2.14
1966 5.88 1.58
1967 5.83 2.23
1968 5.76 2.13
1969 5.68 2.13
1970 5.62 2.13
1971 5.57 2.16
1972 5.48 2.14
1973 5.4 2.14
1974 5.33 2.05
1975 5.2 1.91
1976 5.13 1.85
1977 5.01 1.8
1978 4.89 1.79
1979 4.81 1.77
1980 4.78 1.75
1981 4.7 1.74
1982 4.62 1.77
1983 4.57 1.8
1984 4.52 1.81
1985 4.43 1.76
1986 4.4 1.72
1987 4.31 1.69
1988 4.22 1.66
1989 4.13 1.57
1990 4.05 1.54
1991 3.96 1.53
1992 3.88 1.5
1993 3.8 1.46
1994 3.72 1.5
1995 3.65 1.42
1996 3.58 1.43
1997 3.51 1.39
1998 3.45 1.38
1999 3.38 1.34
2000 3.35 1.36
2001 3.3 1.33
2002 3.22 1.32
2003 3.12 1.29
2004 3.05 1.29
2005 2.96 1.26
2006 2.87 1.32
2007 2.78 1.34
2008 2.71 1.37
2009 2.67 1.37
2010 2.6 1.39
2011 2.53 1.39
2012 2.47 1.41
2013 2.4 1.43
2014 2.29 1.42
2015 2.29 1.45
2016 2.28 1.44
2017 2.19 1.43
2018 2.18 1.42
2019 2.12 1.36
2020 2.05 1.33
2021 2.01 1.3
2022 1.99 1.26
2023 1.98 1.2
2024 1.96 1.21
2025 1.94 1.22
2026 1.93 1.22
2027 1.91 1.23
2028 1.9 1.24
2029 1.89 1.25
2030 1.88 1.25
2031 1.87 1.26
2032 1.86 1.26
2033 1.85 1.27
2034 1.84 1.28
2035 1.84 1.28
2036 1.83 1.29
2037 1.82 1.29
2038 1.81 1.3
2039 1.81 1.3
2040 1.8 1.3
2041 1.8 1.31
2042 1.79 1.31
2043 1.79 1.31
2044 1.78 1.32
2045 1.78 1.32
2046 1.78 1.33
2047 1.77 1.33
2048 1.77 1.33
2049 1.77 1.34
2050 1.76 1.34

Children 0-14 years as share of population

India
Factual

UN forecast
Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
India Japan
1960 40.6% 29.8%
1961 40.9% 29.1%
1962 41.2% 28%
1963 41.5% 26.8%
1964 41.6% 25.8%
1965 41.7% 25.1%
1966 41.7% 24.4%
1967 41.6% 23.8%
1968 41.5% 23.5%
1969 41.5% 23.4%
1970 41.4% 23.3%
1971 41.2% 23.3%
1972 41.1% 23.4%
1973 41% 23.6%
1974 40.8% 23.8%
1975 40.7% 23.8%
1976 40.5% 23.9%
1977 40.3% 23.9%
1978 40.1% 23.8%
1979 40% 23.7%
1980 39.8% 23.4%
1981 39.7% 23.3%
1982 39.6% 23.1%
1983 39.5% 22.6%
1984 39.4% 22.2%
1985 39.3% 21.7%
1986 39.2% 21%
1987 39.1% 20.3%
1988 38.9% 19.5%
1989 38.8% 18.8%
1990 38.6% 18%
1991 38.4% 17.4%
1992 38.1% 16.9%
1993 37.9% 16.4%
1994 37.6% 16%
1995 37.3% 15.6%
1996 37% 15.3%
1997 36.7% 15.1%
1998 36.3% 14.8%
1999 35.9% 14.6%
2000 35.6% 14.4%
2001 35.2% 14.2%
2002 34.8% 14.1%
2003 34.4% 13.9%
2004 34% 13.8%
2005 33.6% 13.8%
2006 33.1% 13.7%
2007 32.7% 13.6%
2008 32.2% 13.5%
2009 31.8% 13.5%
2010 31.3% 13.4%
2011 30.9% 13.3%
2012 30.4% 13.2%
2013 29.9% 13.1%
2014 29.4% 13%
2015 28.9% 12.8%
2016 28.4% 12.7%
2017 27.8% 12.6%
2018 27.3% 12.5%
2019 26.8% 12.4%
2020 26.3% 12.2%
2021 25.9% 12%
2022 25.5% 11.9%
2023 25.1% 11.6%
2024 24.6% 11.4%
2025 24.2% 11.2%
2026 23.8% 11%
2027 23.4% 10.9%
2028 23% 10.7%
2029 22.7% 10.5%
2030 22.4% 10.4%
2031 22.1% 10.3%
2032 21.8% 10.2%
2033 21.5% 10.1%
2034 21.3% 10.1%
2035 21% 10.1%
2036 20.8% 10.1%
2037 20.6% 10.1%
2038 20.4% 10.2%
2039 20.2% 10.3%
2040 19.9% 10.4%
2041 19.7% 10.5%
2042 19.5% 10.6%
2043 19.3% 10.7%
2044 19.1% 10.8%
2045 18.8% 10.9%
2046 18.6% 11%
2047 18.4% 11.1%
2048 18.2% 11.2%
2049 18% 11.2%
2050 17.8% 11.2%

Children aged 0-14 make up 24.6% of the population in India and 11.4% in Japan in 2024, compared to 38.6% and 18% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of India and Japan compared.

Natural population change in India vs Japan by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been +1.06% in India and -0.41% in Japan. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

India
Japan

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
India Japan
1960 10,237,489 894,874
1961 10,468,816 893,522
1962 10,743,409 901,864
1963 11,016,705 987,770
1964 11,285,378 1,046,553
1965 10,925,714 1,126,448
1966 11,089,894 682,072
1967 11,279,897 1,258,475
1968 12,006,807 1,191,930
1969 12,167,671 1,195,962
1970 12,417,866 1,230,496
1971 12,787,104 1,331,782
1972 13,041,792 1,372,006
1973 13,412,707 1,391,449
1974 13,795,836 1,332,960
1975 13,958,642 1,204,989
1976 14,435,504 1,127,750
1977 14,575,662 1,070,397
1978 14,898,145 1,011,234
1979 15,392,957 950,298
1980 16,018,786 864,372
1981 16,422,159 811,861
1982 16,790,507 805,664
1983 17,219,127 775,495
1984 17,698,810 756,523
1985 17,968,697 676,687
1986 18,455,495 631,706
1987 18,496,213 598,138
1988 18,702,916 527,085
1989 18,848,915 467,662
1990 18,893,588 407,478
1991 19,049,524 396,685
1992 19,132,757 360,833
1993 19,152,399 312,073
1994 19,310,798 363,017
1995 19,396,161 276,039
1996 19,442,699 314,392
1997 19,494,098 277,325
1998 19,569,575 265,440
1999 19,648,424 202,610
2000 19,984,160 228,317
2001 20,182,573 203,438
2002 20,024,621 178,423
2003 19,720,507 114,946
2004 19,469,758 76,656
2005 19,034,839 -25,554
2006 18,641,737 12,785
2007 18,331,648 -25,600
2008 18,234,926 -51,225
2009 18,286,055 -76,828
2010 17,991,935 -128,070
2011 17,793,362 -204,533
2012 17,552,365 -229,733
2013 17,107,541 -242,146
2014 16,165,943 -267,279
2015 16,211,195 -292,424
2016 16,202,593 -343,106
2017 15,394,041 -406,310
2018 15,451,168 -456,520
2019 14,859,846 -531,858
2020 13,366,946 -542,923
2021 10,227,523 -640,976
2022 13,912,130 -825,825
2023 13,711,993 -871,617

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: India vs Japan

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 80 deaths per 100,000 live births in India, compared to 3 deaths in Japan.

India
Japan
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
India Japan
1985 658 19
1986 624 18
1987 592 17
1988 562 16
1989 538 15
1990 516 14
1991 498 13
1992 482 13
1993 467 12
1994 451 11
1995 437 11
1996 422 11
1997 407 10
1998 393 10
1999 378 9
2000 362 9
2001 349 8
2002 330 8
2003 313 8
2004 296 7
2005 277 7
2006 258 7
2007 240 6
2008 223 6
2009 205 6
2010 188 6
2011 173 6
2012 160 6
2013 148 5
2014 137 5
2015 129 5
2016 121 5
2017 113 5
2018 107 5
2019 101 5
2020 101 4
2021 155 4
2022 90 5
2023 80 3

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 2.77% in India and 0.24% in Japan. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

India
Japan

Probability that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five

Year Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births
India Japan
1960 24.1% 3.97%
1961 23.8% 3.62%
1962 23.5% 3.29%
1963 23.2% 2.98%
1964 22.9% 2.7%
1965 22.7% 2.46%
1966 22.4% 2.26%
1967 22.2% 2.1%
1968 22% 1.96%
1969 21.7% 1.85%
1970 21.5% 1.75%
1971 21.2% 1.65%
1972 20.8% 1.57%
1973 20.5% 1.49%
1974 20.1% 1.41%
1975 19.6% 1.33%
1976 19.1% 1.25%
1977 18.6% 1.18%
1978 18% 1.11%
1979 17.5% 1.05%
1980 16.9% 0.99%
1981 16.4% 0.93%
1982 15.9% 0.88%
1983 15.5% 0.83%
1984 15% 0.79%
1985 14.6% 0.75%
1986 14.2% 0.71%
1987 13.8% 0.68%
1988 13.4% 0.66%
1989 13% 0.64%
1990 12.7% 0.63%
1991 12.3% 0.62%
1992 12% 0.61%
1993 11.6% 0.6%
1994 11.3% 0.59%
1995 11% 0.57%
1996 10.6% 0.55%
1997 10.3% 0.52%
1998 9.89% 0.5%
1999 9.53% 0.47%
2000 9.16% 0.45%
2001 8.8% 0.43%
2002 8.45% 0.41%
2003 8.11% 0.4%
2004 7.77% 0.39%
2005 7.44% 0.37%
2006 7.11% 0.36%
2007 6.79% 0.35%
2008 6.46% 0.34%
2009 6.14% 0.34%
2010 5.82% 0.33%
2011 5.5% 0.33%
2012 5.2% 0.31%
2013 4.91% 0.3%
2014 4.63% 0.29%
2015 4.36% 0.28%
2016 4.11% 0.27%
2017 3.87% 0.26%
2018 3.64% 0.25%
2019 3.43% 0.25%
2020 3.24% 0.24%
2021 3.06% 0.24%
2022 2.91% 0.24%
2023 2.77% 0.24%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs India vs Japan
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