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Fertility & birth rates in Japan and Malawi

Updated on by Georank team

Japan has an annual birth rate of 6 births per 1,000 people, compared to 31.4 for Malawi. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.2 in Japan and 3.65 in Malawi — 204% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -40% in Japan and by -48.2% in Malawi — in 1960, it was 2 and 7.04, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Japan is ranked 192/196 by birth rate compared to 25/196 for Malawi.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 30.7 years in Japan, compared to 19.1 years in Malawi.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 32.1 in Japan — it's 27.6 in Malawi.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 1.74 in Japan vs 113.6 in Malawi.
  • In Japan, 18.6% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 26.2% in Malawi.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.7% in Japan and +2.6% in Malawi.

Birth rate data compared

Japan Malawi
Fertility rate 1.2 3.65
Birth rate 6 31.4
Birth rate rank 192/196 25/196
Age at first childbirth 30.7 years 19.1 years
Average age at childbearing 32.1 years 27.6 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 1.54 112.9
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 41 171.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 10.5 51.6
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 18.6% 26.2%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 52.8% 64.7%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.8% 96.4%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.003% 0.23%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.08% 1.88%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.18% 2.94%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.24% 3.83%
Population change due to births and deaths -871,617 +549,096
Natural population change rank 195/196 35/196
Natural population change rate -0.7% +2.6%
Population growth -0.43% +2.61%
Population growth rank 182/197 27/197
Life expectancy 85 years 67.7 years

Fertility rate in Japan vs Malawi 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 3.65 in Malawi in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Malawi
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Japan Malawi
1960 2 7.04
1961 1.96 7.07
1962 1.98 7.1
1963 2 7.13
1964 2.05 7.11
1965 2.14 7.13
1966 1.58 7.17
1967 2.23 7.21
1968 2.13 7.26
1969 2.13 7.27
1970 2.13 7.3
1971 2.16 7.31
1972 2.14 7.33
1973 2.14 7.34
1974 2.05 7.34
1975 1.91 7.36
1976 1.85 7.39
1977 1.8 7.41
1978 1.79 7.43
1979 1.77 7.47
1980 1.75 7.52
1981 1.74 7.49
1982 1.77 7.45
1983 1.8 7.36
1984 1.81 7.27
1985 1.76 7.17
1986 1.72 7.07
1987 1.69 6.97
1988 1.66 6.88
1989 1.57 6.8
1990 1.54 6.74
1991 1.53 6.68
1992 1.5 6.63
1993 1.46 6.57
1994 1.5 6.49
1995 1.42 6.39
1996 1.43 6.29
1997 1.39 6.23
1998 1.38 6.21
1999 1.34 6.12
2000 1.36 6
2001 1.33 5.94
2002 1.32 5.9
2003 1.29 5.88
2004 1.29 5.86
2005 1.26 5.85
2006 1.32 5.8
2007 1.34 5.72
2008 1.37 5.61
2009 1.37 5.45
2010 1.39 5.26
2011 1.39 5.08
2012 1.41 4.9
2013 1.43 4.76
2014 1.42 4.57
2015 1.45 4.38
2016 1.44 4.22
2017 1.43 4.11
2018 1.42 4.02
2019 1.36 3.95
2020 1.33 3.88
2021 1.3 3.79
2022 1.26 3.72
2023 1.2 3.65
2024 1.21 3.59
2025 1.22 3.53
2026 1.22 3.45
2027 1.23 3.39
2028 1.24 3.33
2029 1.25 3.29
2030 1.25 3.23
2031 1.26 3.18
2032 1.26 3.13
2033 1.27 3.09
2034 1.28 3.05
2035 1.28 3.01
2036 1.29 2.97
2037 1.29 2.93
2038 1.3 2.89
2039 1.3 2.86
2040 1.3 2.82
2041 1.31 2.79
2042 1.31 2.76
2043 1.31 2.73
2044 1.32 2.7
2045 1.32 2.67
2046 1.33 2.64
2047 1.33 2.61
2048 1.33 2.59
2049 1.34 2.57
2050 1.34 2.54

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Malawi
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Japan Malawi
1960 29.8% 43.1%
1961 29.1% 42.9%
1962 28% 42.8%
1963 26.8% 42.9%
1964 25.8% 43%
1965 25.1% 43.2%
1966 24.4% 43.4%
1967 23.8% 43.7%
1968 23.5% 43.9%
1969 23.4% 44.2%
1970 23.3% 44.4%
1971 23.3% 44.6%
1972 23.4% 44.8%
1973 23.6% 44.9%
1974 23.8% 45.1%
1975 23.8% 45.2%
1976 23.9% 45.2%
1977 23.9% 45.3%
1978 23.8% 45.3%
1979 23.7% 45.3%
1980 23.4% 45.4%
1981 23.3% 45.4%
1982 23.1% 45.4%
1983 22.6% 45.5%
1984 22.2% 45.5%
1985 21.7% 45.4%
1986 21% 45.4%
1987 20.3% 45.1%
1988 19.5% 45%
1989 18.8% 45.2%
1990 18% 45.4%
1991 17.4% 45.6%
1992 16.9% 45.8%
1993 16.4% 46%
1994 16% 46.1%
1995 15.6% 46.1%
1996 15.3% 46.2%
1997 15.1% 46.2%
1998 14.8% 46.2%
1999 14.6% 46.2%
2000 14.4% 46.2%
2001 14.2% 46.1%
2002 14.1% 46.1%
2003 13.9% 46.1%
2004 13.8% 46%
2005 13.8% 46%
2006 13.7% 46.1%
2007 13.6% 46.1%
2008 13.5% 46.1%
2009 13.5% 46.2%
2010 13.4% 46.2%
2011 13.3% 46.2%
2012 13.2% 46.1%
2013 13.1% 46%
2014 13% 45.7%
2015 12.8% 45.4%
2016 12.7% 45.1%
2017 12.6% 44.6%
2018 12.5% 44.2%
2019 12.4% 43.7%
2020 12.2% 43.1%
2021 12% 42.5%
2022 11.9% 41.9%
2023 11.6% 41.3%
2024 11.4% 40.7%
2025 11.2% 40.1%
2026 11% 39.6%
2027 10.9% 39.1%
2028 10.7% 38.6%
2029 10.5% 38.1%
2030 10.4% 37.7%
2031 10.3% 37.4%
2032 10.2% 37%
2033 10.1% 36.7%
2034 10.1% 36.4%
2035 10.1% 36%
2036 10.1% 35.7%
2037 10.1% 35.3%
2038 10.2% 35%
2039 10.3% 34.6%
2040 10.4% 34.2%
2041 10.5% 33.9%
2042 10.6% 33.5%
2043 10.7% 33.1%
2044 10.8% 32.7%
2045 10.9% 32.3%
2046 11% 31.9%
2047 11.1% 31.5%
2048 11.2% 31.2%
2049 11.2% 30.8%
2050 11.2% 30.5%

Children aged 0-14 make up 11.4% of the population in Japan and 40.7% in Malawi in 2024, compared to 18% and 45.4% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Japan and Malawi compared.

Natural population change in Japan vs Malawi by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been -0.41% in Japan and +2.67% in Malawi. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Japan
Malawi

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Japan Malawi
1960 894,874 85,718
1961 893,522 89,091
1962 901,864 92,463
1963 987,770 95,933
1964 1,046,553 97,658
1965 1,126,448 100,040
1966 682,072 103,512
1967 1,258,475 106,668
1968 1,191,930 110,329
1969 1,195,962 113,120
1970 1,230,496 116,822
1971 1,331,782 121,015
1972 1,372,006 125,728
1973 1,391,449 131,529
1974 1,332,960 137,819
1975 1,204,989 145,254
1976 1,127,750 153,422
1977 1,070,397 161,930
1978 1,011,234 172,503
1979 950,298 182,123
1980 864,372 192,746
1981 811,861 199,436
1982 805,664 205,386
1983 775,495 209,422
1984 756,523 212,146
1985 676,687 216,179
1986 631,706 218,519
1987 598,138 220,566
1988 527,085 226,911
1989 467,662 237,967
1990 407,478 250,159
1991 396,685 260,193
1992 360,833 269,066
1993 312,073 276,538
1994 363,017 275,439
1995 276,039 266,745
1996 314,392 270,048
1997 277,325 277,433
1998 265,440 285,407
1999 202,610 295,629
2000 228,317 300,439
2001 203,438 310,833
2002 178,423 322,863
2003 114,946 341,133
2004 76,656 361,133
2005 -25,554 381,130
2006 12,785 397,123
2007 -25,600 410,290
2008 -51,225 421,781
2009 -76,828 434,811
2010 -128,070 444,468
2011 -204,533 454,149
2012 -229,733 460,684
2013 -242,146 470,293
2014 -267,279 472,418
2015 -292,424 472,484
2016 -343,106 474,779
2017 -406,310 484,655
2018 -456,520 494,348
2019 -531,858 506,104
2020 -542,923 514,659
2021 -640,976 517,400
2022 -825,825 533,450
2023 -871,617 549,096

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Japan vs Malawi

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 225 deaths in Malawi.

Japan
Malawi
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Japan Malawi
1985 19 1,115
1986 18 1,118
1987 17 1,123
1988 16 1,154
1989 15 1,136
1990 14 1,112
1991 13 1,080
1992 13 1,042
1993 12 1,000
1994 11 912
1995 11 782
1996 11 713
1997 10 672
1998 10 658
1999 9 576
2000 9 506
2001 8 447
2002 8 404
2003 8 346
2004 7 304
2005 7 283
2006 7 286
2007 6 333
2008 6 430
2009 6 512
2010 6 517
2011 6 486
2012 6 447
2013 5 410
2014 5 367
2015 5 354
2016 5 312
2017 5 284
2018 5 267
2019 5 260
2020 4 256
2021 4 286
2022 5 239
2023 3 225

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.24% in Japan and 3.83% in Malawi. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Japan
Malawi

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 Malawi
1960 3.97% -
1961 3.62% 35.9%
1962 3.29% 35.8%
1963 2.98% 35.7%
1964 2.7% 35.5%
1965 2.46% 35.4%
1966 2.26% 35.3%
1967 2.1% 35.1%
1968 1.96% 35%
1969 1.85% 34.7%
1970 1.75% 34.4%
1971 1.65% 33.9%
1972 1.57% 33.2%
1973 1.49% 32.4%
1974 1.41% 31.5%
1975 1.33% 30.6%
1976 1.25% 29.7%
1977 1.18% 28.7%
1978 1.11% 27.6%
1979 1.05% 26.5%
1980 0.99% 25.6%
1981 0.93% 24.9%
1982 0.88% 24.5%
1983 0.83% 24.5%
1984 0.79% 24.8%
1985 0.75% 25.1%
1986 0.71% 25.4%
1987 0.68% 25.5%
1988 0.66% 25.3%
1989 0.64% 24.9%
1990 0.63% 24.3%
1991 0.62% 23.6%
1992 0.61% 22.8%
1993 0.6% 22%
1994 0.59% 21.3%
1995 0.57% 20.7%
1996 0.55% 20.2%
1997 0.52% 19.7%
1998 0.5% 19.2%
1999 0.47% 18.4%
2000 0.45% 17.3%
2001 0.43% 16%
2002 0.41% 14.6%
2003 0.4% 13.2%
2004 0.39% 11.9%
2005 0.37% 11%
2006 0.36% 10.3%
2007 0.35% 9.83%
2008 0.34% 9.31%
2009 0.34% 8.81%
2010 0.33% 8.3%
2011 0.33% 7.67%
2012 0.31% 6.98%
2013 0.3% 6.4%
2014 0.29% 6.02%
2015 0.28% 5.67%
2016 0.27% 5.35%
2017 0.26% 5.06%
2018 0.25% 4.75%
2019 0.25% 4.55%
2020 0.24% 4.31%
2021 0.24% 4.15%
2022 0.24% 3.99%
2023 0.24% 3.83%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Japan vs Malawi
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