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Fertility & birth rates in Japan and Poland

Updated on by Georank team

Japan has an annual birth rate of 6 births per 1,000 people, compared to 7.4 for Poland. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.2 in Japan and 1.16 in Poland — 3.5% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -40% in Japan and by -61.1% in Poland — in 1960, it was 2 and 2.98, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Japan is ranked 192/196 by birth rate compared to 183/196 for Poland.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 30.7 years in Japan, compared to 28.4 years in Poland.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 32.1 in Japan — it's 30 in Poland.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 1.74 in Japan vs 6.19 in Poland.
  • In Japan, 18.6% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 22.9% in Poland.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.7% in Japan and -0.37% in Poland.

Birth rate data compared

Japan Poland
Fertility rate 1.2 1.16
Birth rate 6 7.4
Birth rate rank 192/196 183/196
Age at first childbirth 30.7 years 28.4 years
Average age at childbearing 32.1 years 30 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 1.54 5.61
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 41 67.4
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 10.5 11.8
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 18.6% 22.9%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 52.8% 50.7%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.8% 99.6%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.003% 0.002%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.08% 0.24%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.18% 0.37%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.24% 0.44%
Population change due to births and deaths -871,617 -135,743
Natural population change rank 195/196 190/196
Natural population change rate -0.7% -0.37%
Population growth -0.43% -0.36%
Population growth rank 182/197 179/197
Life expectancy 85 years 79 years

Fertility rate in Japan vs Poland 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 1.16 in Poland in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Poland
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Japan Poland
1960 2 2.98
1961 1.96 2.83
1962 1.98 2.72
1963 2 2.7
1964 2.05 2.57
1965 2.14 2.52
1966 1.58 2.34
1967 2.23 2.33
1968 2.13 2.24
1969 2.13 2.2
1970 2.13 2.2
1971 2.16 2.25
1972 2.14 2.24
1973 2.14 2.26
1974 2.05 2.26
1975 1.91 2.27
1976 1.85 2.3
1977 1.8 2.23
1978 1.79 2.21
1979 1.77 2.28
1980 1.75 2.28
1981 1.74 2.24
1982 1.77 2.34
1983 1.8 2.42
1984 1.81 2.37
1985 1.76 2.33
1986 1.72 2.22
1987 1.69 2.15
1988 1.66 2.13
1989 1.57 2.08
1990 1.54 2.06
1991 1.53 2.07
1992 1.5 1.95
1993 1.46 1.87
1994 1.5 1.81
1995 1.42 1.62
1996 1.43 1.59
1997 1.39 1.51
1998 1.38 1.44
1999 1.34 1.37
2000 1.36 1.37
2001 1.33 1.31
2002 1.32 1.25
2003 1.29 1.22
2004 1.29 1.23
2005 1.26 1.24
2006 1.32 1.27
2007 1.34 1.31
2008 1.37 1.39
2009 1.37 1.4
2010 1.39 1.41
2011 1.39 1.33
2012 1.41 1.33
2013 1.43 1.29
2014 1.42 1.32
2015 1.45 1.32
2016 1.44 1.39
2017 1.43 1.48
2018 1.42 1.46
2019 1.36 1.44
2020 1.33 1.39
2021 1.3 1.33
2022 1.26 1.29
2023 1.2 1.16
2024 1.21 1.16
2025 1.22 1.17
2026 1.22 1.17
2027 1.23 1.17
2028 1.24 1.18
2029 1.25 1.18
2030 1.25 1.19
2031 1.26 1.19
2032 1.26 1.19
2033 1.27 1.2
2034 1.28 1.2
2035 1.28 1.21
2036 1.29 1.21
2037 1.29 1.21
2038 1.3 1.21
2039 1.3 1.22
2040 1.3 1.22
2041 1.31 1.22
2042 1.31 1.22
2043 1.31 1.23
2044 1.32 1.23
2045 1.32 1.24
2046 1.33 1.24
2047 1.33 1.24
2048 1.33 1.24
2049 1.34 1.24
2050 1.34 1.25

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Poland
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Japan Poland
1960 29.8% 33.4%
1961 29.1% 33.4%
1962 28% 33%
1963 26.8% 32.5%
1964 25.8% 31.9%
1965 25.1% 31.1%
1966 24.4% 30.3%
1967 23.8% 29.5%
1968 23.5% 28.6%
1969 23.4% 27.8%
1970 23.3% 26.9%
1971 23.3% 26.1%
1972 23.4% 25.4%
1973 23.6% 24.8%
1974 23.8% 24.3%
1975 23.8% 24%
1976 23.9% 24%
1977 23.9% 24%
1978 23.8% 24%
1979 23.7% 24.1%
1980 23.4% 24.3%
1981 23.3% 24.5%
1982 23.1% 24.7%
1983 22.6% 25%
1984 22.2% 25.3%
1985 21.7% 25.5%
1986 21% 25.6%
1987 20.3% 25.6%
1988 19.5% 25.5%
1989 18.8% 25.3%
1990 18% 25%
1991 17.4% 24.6%
1992 16.9% 24.3%
1993 16.4% 23.9%
1994 16% 23.4%
1995 15.6% 22.8%
1996 15.3% 22.2%
1997 15.1% 21.6%
1998 14.8% 20.9%
1999 14.6% 20.2%
2000 14.4% 19.4%
2001 14.2% 18.7%
2002 14.1% 18.1%
2003 13.9% 17.5%
2004 13.8% 17%
2005 13.8% 16.5%
2006 13.7% 16%
2007 13.6% 15.7%
2008 13.5% 15.4%
2009 13.5% 15.2%
2010 13.4% 15.1%
2011 13.3% 15.2%
2012 13.2% 15.1%
2013 13.1% 15.1%
2014 13% 15.1%
2015 12.8% 15.1%
2016 12.7% 15.1%
2017 12.6% 15.2%
2018 12.5% 15.3%
2019 12.4% 15.4%
2020 12.2% 15.5%
2021 12% 15.5%
2022 11.9% 15.3%
2023 11.6% 15.1%
2024 11.4% 14.8%
2025 11.2% 14.5%
2026 11% 14.1%
2027 10.9% 13.8%
2028 10.7% 13.5%
2029 10.5% 13.2%
2030 10.4% 13%
2031 10.3% 12.7%
2032 10.2% 12.4%
2033 10.1% 12.1%
2034 10.1% 11.8%
2035 10.1% 11.5%
2036 10.1% 11.3%
2037 10.1% 11.2%
2038 10.2% 11.1%
2039 10.3% 11.1%
2040 10.4% 11.1%
2041 10.5% 11%
2042 10.6% 11.1%
2043 10.7% 11.1%
2044 10.8% 11.1%
2045 10.9% 11.2%
2046 11% 11.3%
2047 11.1% 11.3%
2048 11.2% 11.4%
2049 11.2% 11.5%
2050 11.2% 11.5%

Children aged 0-14 make up 11.4% of the population in Japan and 14.8% in Poland in 2024, compared to 18% and 25% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Japan and Poland compared.

Natural population change in Japan vs Poland by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been -0.41% in Japan and -0.18% in Poland. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Japan
Poland

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Japan Poland
1960 894,874 444,562
1961 893,522 398,521
1962 901,864 360,671
1963 987,770 359,330
1964 1,046,553 326,965
1965 1,126,448 314,450
1966 682,072 297,801
1967 1,258,475 275,089
1968 1,191,930 280,963
1969 1,195,962 270,151
1970 1,230,496 280,913
1971 1,331,782 278,660
1972 1,372,006 314,028
1973 1,391,449 320,229
1974 1,332,960 346,893
1975 1,204,989 350,356
1976 1,127,750 367,612
1977 1,070,397 353,828
1978 1,011,234 339,166
1979 950,298 366,571
1980 864,372 348,627
1981 811,861 351,806
1982 805,664 369,551
1983 775,495 373,032
1984 756,523 332,137
1985 676,687 297,615
1986 631,706 258,448
1987 598,138 226,008
1988 527,085 215,599
1989 467,662 182,215
1990 407,478 160,066
1991 396,685 141,511
1992 360,833 118,928
1993 312,073 103,846
1994 363,017 96,357
1995 276,039 46,314
1996 314,392 42,487
1997 277,325 34,785
1998 265,440 19,332
1999 202,610 0
2000 228,317 11,478
2001 203,438 3,825
2002 178,423 -3,823
2003 114,946 -15,281
2004 76,656 -7,637
2005 -25,554 -3,817
2006 12,785 3,814
2007 -25,600 11,436
2008 -51,225 34,313
2009 -76,828 30,521
2010 -128,070 38,043
2011 -204,533 11,419
2012 -229,733 0
2013 -242,146 -19,020
2014 -267,279 0
2015 -292,424 -26,590
2016 -343,106 -3,797
2017 -406,310 0
2018 -456,520 -26,582
2019 -531,858 -34,169
2020 -542,923 -120,050
2021 -640,976 -184,907
2022 -825,825 -143,605
2023 -871,617 -135,743

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Japan vs Poland

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 2 deaths in Poland.

Japan
Poland
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Japan Poland
1985 19 19
1986 18 19
1987 17 18
1988 16 18
1989 15 18
1990 14 18
1991 13 18
1992 13 16
1993 12 15
1994 11 14
1995 11 12
1996 11 11
1997 10 10
1998 10 9
1999 9 8
2000 9 7
2001 8 6
2002 8 5
2003 8 5
2004 7 4
2005 7 4
2006 7 4
2007 6 3
2008 6 3
2009 6 3
2010 6 3
2011 6 2
2012 6 2
2013 5 2
2014 5 2
2015 5 2
2016 5 2
2017 5 2
2018 5 2
2019 5 2
2020 4 3
2021 4 2
2022 5 2
2023 3 2

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.24% in Japan and 0.44% in Poland. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Japan
Poland

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 Poland
1960 3.97% 6.51%
1961 3.62% 6.02%
1962 3.29% 5.6%
1963 2.98% 5.23%
1964 2.7% 4.89%
1965 2.46% 4.57%
1966 2.26% 4.29%
1967 2.1% 4.06%
1968 1.96% 3.89%
1969 1.85% 3.75%
1970 1.75% 3.59%
1971 1.65% 3.42%
1972 1.57% 3.24%
1973 1.49% 3.06%
1974 1.41% 2.9%
1975 1.33% 2.79%
1976 1.25% 2.7%
1977 1.18% 2.62%
1978 1.11% 2.54%
1979 1.05% 2.47%
1980 0.99% 2.4%
1981 0.93% 2.33%
1982 0.88% 2.26%
1983 0.83% 2.19%
1984 0.79% 2.11%
1985 0.75% 2.03%
1986 0.71% 1.96%
1987 0.68% 1.89%
1988 0.66% 1.84%
1989 0.64% 1.79%
1990 0.63% 1.74%
1991 0.62% 1.69%
1992 0.61% 1.65%
1993 0.6% 1.6%
1994 0.59% 1.53%
1995 0.57% 1.43%
1996 0.55% 1.32%
1997 0.52% 1.2%
1998 0.5% 1.09%
1999 0.47% 1%
2000 0.45% 0.93%
2001 0.43% 0.88%
2002 0.41% 0.84%
2003 0.4% 0.81%
2004 0.39% 0.78%
2005 0.37% 0.76%
2006 0.36% 0.73%
2007 0.35% 0.7%
2008 0.34% 0.67%
2009 0.34% 0.63%
2010 0.33% 0.6%
2011 0.33% 0.57%
2012 0.31% 0.54%
2013 0.3% 0.52%
2014 0.29% 0.5%
2015 0.28% 0.49%
2016 0.27% 0.48%
2017 0.26% 0.46%
2018 0.25% 0.45%
2019 0.25% 0.44%
2020 0.24% 0.44%
2021 0.24% 0.44%
2022 0.24% 0.44%
2023 0.24% 0.44%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Japan vs Poland
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