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Fertility & birth rates in Japan and Serbia

Updated on by Georank team

Japan has an annual birth rate of 6 births per 1,000 people, compared to 9.2 for Serbia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.2 in Japan and 1.61 in Serbia — 34.2% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -40% in Japan and by -25.3% in Serbia — in 1960, it was 2 and 2.15, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Japan is ranked 192/196 by birth rate compared to 159/196 for Serbia.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 30.7 years in Japan, compared to 28.4 years in Serbia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 32.1 in Japan — it's 29.7 in Serbia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 1.74 in Japan vs 13.7 in Serbia.
  • In Japan, 18.6% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 21.5% in Serbia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.7% in Japan and -0.55% in Serbia.

Birth rate data compared

Japan Serbia
Fertility rate 1.2 1.61
Birth rate 6 9.2
Birth rate rank 192/196 159/196
Age at first childbirth 30.7 years 28.4 years
Average age at childbearing 32.1 years 29.7 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 1.54 12.6
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 41 73
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 10.5 11.9
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 18.6% 21.5%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 52.8% 21.3%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.8% 99.9%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.003% 0.01%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.08% 0.32%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.18% 0.45%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.24% 0.52%
Population change due to births and deaths -871,617 -36,427
Natural population change rank 195/196 180/196
Natural population change rate -0.7% -0.55%
Population growth -0.43% -0.54%
Population growth rank 182/197 186/197
Life expectancy 85 years 77.1 years

Fertility rate in Japan vs Serbia 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 1.61 in Serbia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Serbia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Japan Serbia
1960 2 2.15
1961 1.96 2.13
1962 1.98 2.11
1963 2 2.08
1964 2.05 2.07
1965 2.14 2.06
1966 1.58 2.04
1967 2.23 2.02
1968 2.13 2.01
1969 2.13 1.99
1970 2.13 1.97
1971 2.16 1.96
1972 2.14 1.95
1973 2.14 1.94
1974 2.05 1.93
1975 1.91 1.92
1976 1.85 1.91
1977 1.8 1.9
1978 1.79 1.89
1979 1.77 1.88
1980 1.75 1.86
1981 1.74 1.85
1982 1.77 1.84
1983 1.8 1.83
1984 1.81 1.81
1985 1.76 1.8
1986 1.72 1.78
1987 1.69 1.75
1988 1.66 1.72
1989 1.57 1.69
1990 1.54 1.65
1991 1.53 1.61
1992 1.5 1.57
1993 1.46 1.54
1994 1.5 1.51
1995 1.42 1.47
1996 1.43 1.44
1997 1.39 1.4
1998 1.38 1.37
1999 1.34 1.35
2000 1.36 1.48
2001 1.33 1.58
2002 1.32 1.57
2003 1.29 1.59
2004 1.29 1.57
2005 1.26 1.45
2006 1.32 1.43
2007 1.34 1.38
2008 1.37 1.4
2009 1.37 1.44
2010 1.39 1.4
2011 1.39 1.4
2012 1.41 1.45
2013 1.43 1.43
2014 1.42 1.46
2015 1.45 1.46
2016 1.44 1.46
2017 1.43 1.49
2018 1.42 1.49
2019 1.36 1.52
2020 1.33 1.48
2021 1.3 1.52
2022 1.26 1.59
2023 1.2 1.61
2024 1.21 1.61
2025 1.22 1.61
2026 1.22 1.62
2027 1.23 1.62
2028 1.24 1.62
2029 1.25 1.63
2030 1.25 1.63
2031 1.26 1.63
2032 1.26 1.63
2033 1.27 1.64
2034 1.28 1.64
2035 1.28 1.65
2036 1.29 1.65
2037 1.29 1.65
2038 1.3 1.65
2039 1.3 1.65
2040 1.3 1.65
2041 1.31 1.66
2042 1.31 1.66
2043 1.31 1.66
2044 1.32 1.66
2045 1.32 1.67
2046 1.33 1.67
2047 1.33 1.67
2048 1.33 1.67
2049 1.34 1.67
2050 1.34 1.67

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Serbia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Japan Serbia
1960 29.8% 27.2%
1961 29.1% 27.1%
1962 28% 27%
1963 26.8% 26.7%
1964 25.8% 26.3%
1965 25.1% 25.8%
1966 24.4% 25.3%
1967 23.8% 24.7%
1968 23.5% 24.1%
1969 23.4% 23.5%
1970 23.3% 23%
1971 23.3% 22.5%
1972 23.4% 22.2%
1973 23.6% 22%
1974 23.8% 21.7%
1975 23.8% 21.5%
1976 23.9% 21.3%
1977 23.9% 21%
1978 23.8% 20.9%
1979 23.7% 20.7%
1980 23.4% 20.6%
1981 23.3% 20.6%
1982 23.1% 20.6%
1983 22.6% 20.5%
1984 22.2% 20.5%
1985 21.7% 20.3%
1986 21% 20.2%
1987 20.3% 20%
1988 19.5% 19.8%
1989 18.8% 19.6%
1990 18% 19.3%
1991 17.4% 19.1%
1992 16.9% 18.8%
1993 16.4% 18.6%
1994 16% 18.3%
1995 15.6% 18%
1996 15.3% 17.7%
1997 15.1% 17.4%
1998 14.8% 17.1%
1999 14.6% 16.7%
2000 14.4% 16.4%
2001 14.2% 16.1%
2002 14.1% 15.8%
2003 13.9% 15.6%
2004 13.8% 15.4%
2005 13.8% 15.2%
2006 13.7% 15%
2007 13.6% 14.9%
2008 13.5% 14.7%
2009 13.5% 14.6%
2010 13.4% 14.5%
2011 13.3% 14.4%
2012 13.2% 14.3%
2013 13.1% 14.3%
2014 13% 14.3%
2015 12.8% 14.3%
2016 12.7% 14.3%
2017 12.6% 14.3%
2018 12.5% 14.3%
2019 12.4% 14.3%
2020 12.2% 14.3%
2021 12% 14.3%
2022 11.9% 14.4%
2023 11.6% 14.4%
2024 11.4% 14.3%
2025 11.2% 14.3%
2026 11% 14.2%
2027 10.9% 14.1%
2028 10.7% 14.1%
2029 10.5% 14%
2030 10.4% 13.9%
2031 10.3% 13.8%
2032 10.2% 13.7%
2033 10.1% 13.6%
2034 10.1% 13.5%
2035 10.1% 13.4%
2036 10.1% 13.3%
2037 10.1% 13.3%
2038 10.2% 13.2%
2039 10.3% 13.2%
2040 10.4% 13.1%
2041 10.5% 13.1%
2042 10.6% 13.1%
2043 10.7% 13.1%
2044 10.8% 13.1%
2045 10.9% 13.1%
2046 11% 13.1%
2047 11.1% 13.1%
2048 11.2% 13.1%
2049 11.2% 13.1%
2050 11.2% 13.1%

Children aged 0-14 make up 11.4% of the population in Japan and 14.3% in Serbia in 2024, compared to 18% and 19.3% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Japan and Serbia compared.

Natural population change in Japan vs Serbia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been -0.41% in Japan and -0.63% in Serbia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Japan
Serbia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Japan Serbia
1960 894,874 63,642
1961 893,522 61,065
1962 901,864 59,307
1963 987,770 55,580
1964 1,046,553 54,185
1965 1,126,448 53,383
1966 682,072 53,338
1967 1,258,475 53,120
1968 1,191,930 51,653
1969 1,195,962 50,304
1970 1,230,496 48,343
1971 1,331,782 47,424
1972 1,372,006 48,248
1973 1,391,449 49,596
1974 1,332,960 51,583
1975 1,204,989 52,502
1976 1,127,750 51,399
1977 1,070,397 48,105
1978 1,011,234 43,636
1979 950,298 39,022
1980 864,372 36,273
1981 811,861 34,304
1982 805,664 30,603
1983 775,495 27,515
1984 756,523 23,815
1985 676,687 22,090
1986 631,706 19,407
1987 598,138 16,711
1988 527,085 13,852
1989 467,662 11,872
1990 407,478 7,416
1991 396,685 2,210
1992 360,833 -3,779
1993 312,073 -5,703
1994 363,017 -7,157
1995 276,039 -7,628
1996 314,392 -16,007
1997 277,325 -18,389
1998 265,440 -23,006
1999 202,610 -29,408
2000 228,317 -30,065
2001 203,438 -20,259
2002 178,423 -24,750
2003 114,946 -24,686
2004 76,656 -26,121
2005 -25,554 -34,227
2006 12,785 -31,870
2007 -25,600 -34,693
2008 -51,225 -33,590
2009 -76,828 -33,676
2010 -128,070 -34,999
2011 -204,533 -36,906
2012 -229,733 -35,288
2013 -242,146 -34,399
2014 -267,279 -34,946
2015 -292,424 -37,605
2016 -343,106 -35,998
2017 -406,310 -39,317
2018 -456,520 -37,707
2019 -531,858 -36,810
2020 -542,923 -55,193
2021 -640,976 -74,494
2022 -825,825 -46,651
2023 -871,617 -36,427

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Japan vs Serbia

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 11 deaths in Serbia.

Japan
Serbia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Japan Serbia
1985 19 15
1986 18 15
1987 17 15
1988 16 14
1989 15 14
1990 14 14
1991 13 14
1992 13 15
1993 12 16
1994 11 16
1995 11 17
1996 11 17
1997 10 17
1998 10 19
1999 9 17
2000 9 16
2001 8 15
2002 8 14
2003 8 14
2004 7 13
2005 7 13
2006 7 12
2007 6 12
2008 6 12
2009 6 12
2010 6 13
2011 6 13
2012 6 13
2013 5 13
2014 5 13
2015 5 13
2016 5 13
2017 5 13
2018 5 12
2019 5 12
2020 4 16
2021 4 26
2022 5 14
2023 3 11

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.24% in Japan and 0.52% in Serbia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Japan
Serbia

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 Serbia
1960 3.97% -
1961 3.62% -
1962 3.29% -
1963 2.98% -
1964 2.7% -
1965 2.46% -
1966 2.26% -
1967 2.1% -
1968 1.96% -
1969 1.85% -
1970 1.75% -
1971 1.65% -
1972 1.57% -
1973 1.49% -
1974 1.41% -
1975 1.33% -
1976 1.25% -
1977 1.18% -
1978 1.11% -
1979 1.05% -
1980 0.99% -
1981 0.93% -
1982 0.88% -
1983 0.83% -
1984 0.79% 4.07%
1985 0.75% 3.93%
1986 0.71% 3.78%
1987 0.68% 3.59%
1988 0.66% 3.36%
1989 0.64% 3.1%
1990 0.63% 2.85%
1991 0.62% 2.61%
1992 0.61% 2.43%
1993 0.6% 2.29%
1994 0.59% 2.14%
1995 0.57% 1.95%
1996 0.55% 1.74%
1997 0.52% 1.56%
1998 0.5% 1.42%
1999 0.47% 1.32%
2000 0.45% 1.26%
2001 0.43% 1.2%
2002 0.41% 1.14%
2003 0.4% 1.05%
2004 0.39% 0.97%
2005 0.37% 0.9%
2006 0.36% 0.85%
2007 0.35% 0.82%
2008 0.34% 0.79%
2009 0.34% 0.78%
2010 0.33% 0.76%
2011 0.33% 0.73%
2012 0.31% 0.71%
2013 0.3% 0.68%
2014 0.29% 0.66%
2015 0.28% 0.63%
2016 0.27% 0.61%
2017 0.26% 0.59%
2018 0.25% 0.58%
2019 0.25% 0.57%
2020 0.24% 0.55%
2021 0.24% 0.54%
2022 0.24% 0.53%
2023 0.24% 0.52%

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Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Japan vs Serbia
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