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Fertility & birth rates in Japan and Lesotho

Updated on by Georank team

Japan has an annual birth rate of 6 births per 1,000 people, compared to 24.1 for Lesotho. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.2 in Japan and 2.69 in Lesotho — 124.5% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -40% in Japan and by -53.4% in Lesotho — in 1960, it was 2 and 5.78, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Japan is ranked 192/196 by birth rate compared to 56/196 for Lesotho.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 30.7 years in Japan, compared to 20.9 years in Lesotho.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 32.1 in Japan — it's 27.9 in Lesotho.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 1.74 in Japan vs 70.6 in Lesotho.
  • In Japan, 18.6% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 27.8% in Lesotho.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.7% in Japan and +1.35% in Lesotho.

Birth rate data compared

Japan Lesotho
Fertility rate 1.2 2.69
Birth rate 6 24.1
Birth rate rank 192/196 56/196
Age at first childbirth 30.7 years 20.9 years
Average age at childbearing 32.1 years 27.9 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 1.54 69.1
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 41 134.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 10.5 38.1
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 18.6% 27.8%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 52.8% 65.3%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.8% 86.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.003% 0.48%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.08% 2.87%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.18% 5.54%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.24% 5.89%
Population change due to births and deaths -871,617 +31,115
Natural population change rank 195/196 103/196
Natural population change rate -0.7% +1.35%
Population growth -0.43% +1.12%
Population growth rank 182/197 96/197
Life expectancy 85 years 58.2 years

Fertility rate in Japan vs Lesotho chart

According to the latest available data on birth rates, the fertility rate in Japan was 1.2 children per woman in 2023, compared to 2.69 in Lesotho in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Japan Lesotho
1960 2 5.78
1961 1.96 5.79
1962 1.98 5.79
1963 2 5.78
1964 2.05 5.77
1965 2.14 5.77
1966 1.58 5.76
1967 2.23 5.75
1968 2.13 5.73
1969 2.13 5.7
1970 2.13 5.7
1971 2.16 5.7
1972 2.14 5.69
1973 2.14 5.69
1974 2.05 5.75
1975 1.91 5.83
1976 1.85 5.87
1977 1.8 5.85
1978 1.79 5.82
1979 1.77 5.79
1980 1.75 5.75
1981 1.74 5.69
1982 1.77 5.63
1983 1.8 5.56
1984 1.81 5.48
1985 1.76 5.4
1986 1.72 5.32
1987 1.69 5.22
1988 1.66 5.1
1989 1.57 4.96
1990 1.54 4.81
1991 1.53 4.68
1992 1.5 4.54
1993 1.46 4.37
1994 1.5 4.21
1995 1.42 4.13
1996 1.43 4.06
1997 1.39 3.98
1998 1.38 3.82
1999 1.34 3.67
2000 1.36 3.61
2001 1.33 3.63
2002 1.32 3.68
2003 1.29 3.62
2004 1.29 3.51
2005 1.26 3.43
2006 1.32 3.41
2007 1.34 3.44
2008 1.37 3.39
2009 1.37 3.31
2010 1.39 3.25
2011 1.39 3.34
2012 1.41 3.3
2013 1.43 3.28
2014 1.42 3.24
2015 1.45 3.22
2016 1.44 3.18
2017 1.43 3.11
2018 1.42 3.02
2019 1.36 2.92
2020 1.33 2.85
2021 1.3 2.77
2022 1.26 2.72
2023 1.2 2.69
2024 1.21 2.66
2025 1.22 2.64
2026 1.22 2.61
2027 1.23 2.58
2028 1.24 2.55
2029 1.25 2.53
2030 1.25 2.5
2031 1.26 2.47
2032 1.26 2.45
2033 1.27 2.43
2034 1.28 2.41
2035 1.28 2.38
2036 1.29 2.37
2037 1.29 2.34
2038 1.3 2.32
2039 1.3 2.3
2040 1.3 2.29
2041 1.31 2.27
2042 1.31 2.25
2043 1.31 2.24
2044 1.32 2.22
2045 1.32 2.21
2046 1.33 2.19
2047 1.33 2.18
2048 1.33 2.17
2049 1.34 2.16
2050 1.34 2.14

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Lesotho
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Japan Lesotho
1960 29.8% 45.1%
1961 29.1% 45.2%
1962 28% 45.3%
1963 26.8% 45.2%
1964 25.8% 44.9%
1965 25.1% 44.8%
1966 24.4% 44.9%
1967 23.8% 44.8%
1968 23.5% 44.4%
1969 23.4% 44%
1970 23.3% 43.6%
1971 23.3% 43.1%
1972 23.4% 42.7%
1973 23.6% 42.3%
1974 23.8% 41.9%
1975 23.8% 41.6%
1976 23.9% 41.4%
1977 23.9% 41.5%
1978 23.8% 41.7%
1979 23.7% 41.9%
1980 23.4% 42.1%
1981 23.3% 42.3%
1982 23.1% 42.5%
1983 22.6% 42.7%
1984 22.2% 42.8%
1985 21.7% 43%
1986 21% 42.7%
1987 20.3% 42.5%
1988 19.5% 42.7%
1989 18.8% 42.8%
1990 18% 42.9%
1991 17.4% 42.9%
1992 16.9% 42.8%
1993 16.4% 42.6%
1994 16% 42.3%
1995 15.6% 42%
1996 15.3% 41.7%
1997 15.1% 41.2%
1998 14.8% 40.7%
1999 14.6% 40.2%
2000 14.4% 39.6%
2001 14.2% 39.1%
2002 14.1% 38.6%
2003 13.9% 38.1%
2004 13.8% 37.7%
2005 13.8% 37.4%
2006 13.7% 37.1%
2007 13.6% 36.8%
2008 13.5% 36.7%
2009 13.5% 36.6%
2010 13.4% 36.5%
2011 13.3% 36.5%
2012 13.2% 36.5%
2013 13.1% 36.5%
2014 13% 36.6%
2015 12.8% 36.6%
2016 12.7% 36.6%
2017 12.6% 36.5%
2018 12.5% 36.3%
2019 12.4% 36.1%
2020 12.2% 35.8%
2021 12% 35.6%
2022 11.9% 35.3%
2023 11.6% 34.9%
2024 11.4% 34.5%
2025 11.2% 34.1%
2026 11% 33.6%
2027 10.9% 33.1%
2028 10.7% 32.6%
2029 10.5% 32%
2030 10.4% 31.5%
2031 10.3% 31%
2032 10.2% 30.5%
2033 10.1% 30.1%
2034 10.1% 29.7%
2035 10.1% 29.3%
2036 10.1% 29%
2037 10.1% 28.8%
2038 10.2% 28.5%
2039 10.3% 28.3%
2040 10.4% 28.1%
2041 10.5% 27.8%
2042 10.6% 27.6%
2043 10.7% 27.4%
2044 10.8% 27.1%
2045 10.9% 26.9%
2046 11% 26.7%
2047 11.1% 26.4%
2048 11.2% 26.2%
2049 11.2% 25.9%
2050 11.2% 25.7%

Children aged 0-14 make up 11.4% of the population in Japan and 34.5% in Lesotho in 2024, compared to 18% and 42.9% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Japan and Lesotho compared.

Natural population change in Japan vs Lesotho by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been -0.41% in Japan and +1.44% in Lesotho. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Japan
Lesotho

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Japan Lesotho
1960 894,874 19,981
1961 893,522 20,581
1962 901,864 21,132
1963 987,770 21,585
1964 1,046,553 22,116
1965 1,126,448 22,755
1966 682,072 23,326
1967 1,258,475 23,911
1968 1,191,930 24,490
1969 1,195,962 25,137
1970 1,230,496 25,935
1971 1,331,782 26,838
1972 1,372,006 27,841
1973 1,391,449 28,859
1974 1,332,960 30,444
1975 1,204,989 32,311
1976 1,127,750 34,117
1977 1,070,397 35,654
1978 1,011,234 37,084
1979 950,298 38,440
1980 864,372 39,617
1981 811,861 40,808
1982 805,664 41,941
1983 775,495 42,899
1984 756,523 43,785
1985 676,687 44,575
1986 631,706 45,232
1987 598,138 47,718
1988 527,085 47,158
1989 467,662 46,264
1990 407,478 45,060
1991 396,685 44,026
1992 360,833 42,579
1993 312,073 40,505
1994 363,017 38,629
1995 276,039 37,370
1996 314,392 36,228
1997 277,325 34,637
1998 265,440 30,889
1999 202,610 27,393
2000 228,317 24,786
2001 203,438 23,190
2002 178,423 22,274
2003 114,946 20,133
2004 76,656 17,271
2005 -25,554 15,831
2006 12,785 15,234
2007 -25,600 17,763
2008 -51,225 19,349
2009 -76,828 20,335
2010 -128,070 21,877
2011 -204,533 25,647
2012 -229,733 27,592
2013 -242,146 29,789
2014 -267,279 30,922
2015 -292,424 32,087
2016 -343,106 33,390
2017 -406,310 33,601
2018 -456,520 33,112
2019 -531,858 32,279
2020 -542,923 30,721
2021 -640,976 27,806
2022 -825,825 30,803
2023 -871,617 31,115

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Japan vs Lesotho

The maternal mortality rate, which is the probability of dying during childbirth or within 42 days of pregnancy termination, is 3 deaths per 100,000 live births in Japan, compared to 478 deaths in Lesotho.

Japan
Lesotho
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Japan Lesotho
1985 19 711
1986 18 680
1987 17 686
1988 16 680
1989 15 680
1990 14 665
1991 13 641
1992 13 601
1993 12 542
1994 11 423
1995 11 357
1996 11 319
1997 10 312
1998 10 332
1999 9 371
2000 9 413
2001 8 465
2002 8 484
2003 8 508
2004 7 499
2005 7 549
2006 7 696
2007 6 891
2008 6 1,205
2009 6 1,387
2010 6 1,311
2011 6 1,210
2012 6 1,000
2013 5 855
2014 5 707
2015 5 594
2016 5 518
2017 5 468
2018 5 491
2019 5 467
2020 4 529
2021 4 577
2022 5 477
2023 3 478

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.24% in Japan and 5.89% in Lesotho. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Japan
Lesotho

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
Japan Lesotho
1960 3.97% 18.6%
1961 3.62% 18.5%
1962 3.29% 18.5%
1963 2.98% 18.6%
1964 2.7% 18.6%
1965 2.46% 18.7%
1966 2.26% 18.6%
1967 2.1% 18.5%
1968 1.96% 18.3%
1969 1.85% 18%
1970 1.75% 17.7%
1971 1.65% 17.3%
1972 1.57% 16.9%
1973 1.49% 16.5%
1974 1.41% 16%
1975 1.33% 15.5%
1976 1.25% 14.9%
1977 1.18% 14.2%
1978 1.11% 13.6%
1979 1.05% 12.9%
1980 0.99% 12.3%
1981 0.93% 11.7%
1982 0.88% 11.1%
1983 0.83% 10.6%
1984 0.79% 10.1%
1985 0.75% 9.72%
1986 0.71% 9.36%
1987 0.68% 9.06%
1988 0.66% 8.8%
1989 0.64% 8.6%
1990 0.63% 8.47%
1991 0.62% 8.43%
1992 0.61% 8.51%
1993 0.6% 8.73%
1994 0.59% 9.07%
1995 0.57% 9.45%
1996 0.55% 9.83%
1997 0.52% 10.2%
1998 0.5% 10.5%
1999 0.47% 10.7%
2000 0.45% 10.9%
2001 0.43% 11.1%
2002 0.41% 11.2%
2003 0.4% 11.4%
2004 0.39% 11.5%
2005 0.37% 11.6%
2006 0.36% 11.5%
2007 0.35% 11.2%
2008 0.34% 10.9%
2009 0.34% 9.64%
2010 0.33% 9.01%
2011 0.33% 8.59%
2012 0.31% 8.26%
2013 0.3% 8.02%
2014 0.29% 7.82%
2015 0.28% 7.51%
2016 0.27% 7.18%
2017 0.26% 7.12%
2018 0.25% 6.91%
2019 0.25% 6.87%
2020 0.24% 6.68%
2021 0.24% 6.44%
2022 0.24% 6.15%
2023 0.24% 5.89%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Japan vs Lesotho
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