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Fertility & birth rates in Japan and Zambia

Updated on by Georank team

Japan has an annual birth rate of 6 births per 1,000 people, compared to 33.1 for Zambia. The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime — the fertility rate, is 1.2 in Japan and 4.1 in Zambia — 241.8% difference.

1960 vs 2023, the fertility rate has decreased by -40% in Japan and by -41% in Zambia — in 1960, it was 2 and 6.95, respectively.

Birth rates facts compared:

  • Japan is ranked 192/196 by birth rate compared to 19/196 for Zambia.
  • The mean age for first-time mothers is 30.7 years in Japan, compared to 19.2 years in Zambia.
  • The mean age at childbearing (for all the births, not just the first) is 32.1 in Japan — it's 28.4 in Zambia.
  • Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 (adolescent birth rate or teenage mother rate) is 1.74 in Japan vs 115.9 in Zambia.
  • In Japan, 18.6% of the population is composed of women of reproductive age (15-49), compared to 25.3% in Zambia.
  • Excluding migration, the natural population change due to births and deaths from 2022 to 2023 was -0.7% in Japan and +2.79% in Zambia.

Birth rate data compared

Japan Zambia
Fertility rate 1.2 4.1
Birth rate 6 33.1
Birth rate rank 192/196 19/196
Age at first childbirth 30.7 years 19.2 years
Average age at childbearing 32.1 years 28.4 years
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 1.54 115
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 20-29 41 175.9
Annual births per 1,000 women ages 30+ 10.5 65.3
Female of reproductive age (15-49), share of population 18.6% 25.3%
Any modern method of contraceptive prevalence among married women ages 15-49 52.8% 47.5%
Share of births attended by skilled health staff 99.8% 80.4%
Maternal mortality per live birth 0.003% 0.09%
Neonatal mortality rate (before reaching 28 days of age) 0.08% 2.2%
Infant mortality rate (before reaching 1 year of age) 0.18% 3.09%
Mortality rate before reaching 5 years of age, per 1,000 live births 0.24% 4.47%
Population change due to births and deaths -871,617 +577,660
Natural population change rank 195/196 34/196
Natural population change rate -0.7% +2.79%
Population growth -0.43% +2.85%
Population growth rank 182/197 22/197
Life expectancy 85 years 66.7 years

Fertility rate in Japan vs Zambia 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 4.1 in Zambia in 2023. The replacement level is considered to be 2.1 children per woman.

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

The chart below showcases historical changes in the birth rates.

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast

Births per woman

Year Fertility rate
Japan Zambia
1960 2 6.95
1961 1.96 6.98
1962 1.98 7.01
1963 2 7.06
1964 2.05 7.09
1965 2.14 7.12
1966 1.58 7.14
1967 2.23 7.15
1968 2.13 7.18
1969 2.13 7.18
1970 2.13 7.22
1971 2.16 7.26
1972 2.14 7.3
1973 2.14 7.34
1974 2.05 7.36
1975 1.91 7.42
1976 1.85 7.39
1977 1.8 7.35
1978 1.79 7.29
1979 1.77 7.22
1980 1.75 7.14
1981 1.74 7.07
1982 1.77 7.04
1983 1.8 7.01
1984 1.81 6.97
1985 1.76 6.93
1986 1.72 6.87
1987 1.69 6.8
1988 1.66 6.7
1989 1.57 6.64
1990 1.54 6.57
1991 1.53 6.46
1992 1.5 6.35
1993 1.46 6.3
1994 1.5 6.26
1995 1.42 6.23
1996 1.43 6.18
1997 1.39 6.12
1998 1.38 6.07
1999 1.34 6
2000 1.36 5.92
2001 1.33 5.85
2002 1.32 5.77
2003 1.29 5.71
2004 1.29 5.7
2005 1.26 5.7
2006 1.32 5.68
2007 1.34 5.61
2008 1.37 5.53
2009 1.37 5.45
2010 1.39 5.36
2011 1.39 5.26
2012 1.41 5.14
2013 1.43 5.01
2014 1.42 4.89
2015 1.45 4.78
2016 1.44 4.67
2017 1.43 4.57
2018 1.42 4.49
2019 1.36 4.42
2020 1.33 4.32
2021 1.3 4.25
2022 1.26 4.18
2023 1.2 4.1
2024 1.21 4.04
2025 1.22 3.97
2026 1.22 3.91
2027 1.23 3.85
2028 1.24 3.77
2029 1.25 3.72
2030 1.25 3.67
2031 1.26 3.61
2032 1.26 3.56
2033 1.27 3.5
2034 1.28 3.45
2035 1.28 3.4
2036 1.29 3.35
2037 1.29 3.3
2038 1.3 3.25
2039 1.3 3.19
2040 1.3 3.15
2041 1.31 3.11
2042 1.31 3.07
2043 1.31 3.03
2044 1.32 3
2045 1.32 2.96
2046 1.33 2.93
2047 1.33 2.9
2048 1.33 2.87
2049 1.34 2.84
2050 1.34 2.81

Children 0-14 years as share of population

Japan
Factual

UN forecast
Zambia
Factual

UN forecast
Year Share of people 0-14 years old
Japan Zambia
1960 29.8% 46%
1961 29.1% 46.2%
1962 28% 46.3%
1963 26.8% 46.5%
1964 25.8% 46.7%
1965 25.1% 46.9%
1966 24.4% 46.9%
1967 23.8% 47%
1968 23.5% 47.1%
1969 23.4% 47.2%
1970 23.3% 47.4%
1971 23.3% 47.7%
1972 23.4% 48%
1973 23.6% 48.3%
1974 23.8% 48.6%
1975 23.8% 48.8%
1976 23.9% 49.1%
1977 23.9% 49.2%
1978 23.8% 49.4%
1979 23.7% 49.5%
1980 23.4% 49.5%
1981 23.3% 49.4%
1982 23.1% 49.3%
1983 22.6% 49.1%
1984 22.2% 49%
1985 21.7% 48.9%
1986 21% 48.8%
1987 20.3% 48.7%
1988 19.5% 48.6%
1989 18.8% 48.5%
1990 18% 48.4%
1991 17.4% 48.3%
1992 16.9% 48.2%
1993 16.4% 48.2%
1994 16% 48.2%
1995 15.6% 48.2%
1996 15.3% 48.2%
1997 15.1% 48.2%
1998 14.8% 48.2%
1999 14.6% 48.1%
2000 14.4% 48%
2001 14.2% 47.8%
2002 14.1% 47.6%
2003 13.9% 47.4%
2004 13.8% 47.3%
2005 13.8% 47.1%
2006 13.7% 47%
2007 13.6% 46.8%
2008 13.5% 46.6%
2009 13.5% 46.4%
2010 13.4% 46.3%
2011 13.3% 46.1%
2012 13.2% 45.9%
2013 13.1% 45.7%
2014 13% 45.5%
2015 12.8% 45.2%
2016 12.7% 44.9%
2017 12.6% 44.5%
2018 12.5% 44.1%
2019 12.4% 43.8%
2020 12.2% 43.3%
2021 12% 42.9%
2022 11.9% 42.4%
2023 11.6% 42%
2024 11.4% 41.5%
2025 11.2% 41%
2026 11% 40.5%
2027 10.9% 40%
2028 10.7% 39.6%
2029 10.5% 39.2%
2030 10.4% 38.8%
2031 10.3% 38.5%
2032 10.2% 38.1%
2033 10.1% 37.8%
2034 10.1% 37.5%
2035 10.1% 37.1%
2036 10.1% 36.8%
2037 10.1% 36.5%
2038 10.2% 36.1%
2039 10.3% 35.8%
2040 10.4% 35.4%
2041 10.5% 35.1%
2042 10.6% 34.7%
2043 10.7% 34.4%
2044 10.8% 34%
2045 10.9% 33.7%
2046 11% 33.3%
2047 11.1% 33%
2048 11.2% 32.6%
2049 11.2% 32.3%
2050 11.2% 32%

Children aged 0-14 make up 11.4% of the population in Japan and 41.5% in Zambia in 2024, compared to 18% and 48.4% respectively in 1990.

Demographics of Japan and Zambia compared.

Natural population change in Japan vs Zambia by year

For the past 10 years, the annual natural population change (excluding migration) has been -0.41% in Japan and +2.87% in Zambia. The chart below illustrates the comparison of the absolute yearly changes resulting from births and deaths.

Japan
Zambia

Natural population change

Year Population change due to births and deaths
Japan Zambia
1960 894,874 102,335
1961 893,522 106,318
1962 901,864 110,173
1963 987,770 114,555
1964 1,046,553 117,197
1965 1,126,448 122,814
1966 682,072 127,164
1967 1,258,475 131,938
1968 1,191,930 137,315
1969 1,195,962 142,660
1970 1,230,496 149,380
1971 1,331,782 155,249
1972 1,372,006 161,648
1973 1,391,449 168,258
1974 1,332,960 174,484
1975 1,204,989 182,258
1976 1,127,750 186,762
1977 1,070,397 191,557
1978 1,011,234 194,933
1979 950,298 197,578
1980 864,372 198,817
1981 811,861 202,822
1982 805,664 207,621
1983 775,495 212,712
1984 756,523 216,695
1985 676,687 221,351
1986 631,706 224,768
1987 598,138 227,813
1988 527,085 230,118
1989 467,662 233,429
1990 407,478 235,835
1991 396,685 237,957
1992 360,833 239,953
1993 312,073 245,917
1994 363,017 252,023
1995 276,039 257,897
1996 314,392 262,468
1997 277,325 268,198
1998 265,440 275,568
1999 202,610 283,297
2000 228,317 293,186
2001 203,438 302,682
2002 178,423 316,041
2003 114,946 331,189
2004 76,656 349,352
2005 -25,554 368,756
2006 12,785 387,891
2007 -25,600 403,729
2008 -51,225 419,560
2009 -76,828 434,458
2010 -128,070 448,337
2011 -204,533 459,743
2012 -229,733 469,406
2013 -242,146 476,846
2014 -267,279 483,663
2015 -292,424 491,021
2016 -343,106 497,521
2017 -406,310 504,630
2018 -456,520 515,644
2019 -531,858 528,089
2020 -542,923 536,484
2021 -640,976 535,629
2022 -825,825 563,456
2023 -871,617 577,660

Fertility rates around the globe

Fertility rate

Maternal mortality chart: Japan vs Zambia

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 85 deaths in Zambia.

Japan
Zambia
Year Maternal mortality per 100K births
Japan Zambia
1985 19 596
1986 18 619
1987 17 630
1988 16 635
1989 15 635
1990 14 625
1991 13 611
1992 13 581
1993 12 532
1994 11 507
1995 11 466
1996 11 433
1997 10 403
1998 10 392
1999 9 378
2000 9 340
2001 8 306
2002 8 274
2003 8 250
2004 7 260
2005 7 264
2006 7 262
2007 6 324
2008 6 394
2009 6 406
2010 6 332
2011 6 291
2012 6 256
2013 5 213
2014 5 174
2015 5 154
2016 5 158
2017 5 141
2018 5 117
2019 5 103
2020 4 99
2021 4 140
2022 5 89
2023 3 85

Under-five mortality rates

The chance that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five is 0.24% in Japan and 4.47% in Zambia. Below is the historical data on under-five mortality rates.

Japan
Zambia

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 Zambia
1960 3.97% 20.5%
1961 3.62% 20.1%
1962 3.29% 19.8%
1963 2.98% 19.5%
1964 2.7% 19.2%
1965 2.46% 19%
1966 2.26% 18.9%
1967 2.1% 18.7%
1968 1.96% 18.5%
1969 1.85% 18.3%
1970 1.75% 17.9%
1971 1.65% 17.4%
1972 1.57% 16.9%
1973 1.49% 16.3%
1974 1.41% 15.9%
1975 1.33% 15.5%
1976 1.25% 15.4%
1977 1.18% 15.3%
1978 1.11% 15.3%
1979 1.05% 15.4%
1980 0.99% 15.5%
1981 0.93% 15.6%
1982 0.88% 15.7%
1983 0.83% 15.9%
1984 0.79% 16.2%
1985 0.75% 16.6%
1986 0.71% 17%
1987 0.68% 17.3%
1988 0.66% 17.7%
1989 0.64% 17.9%
1990 0.63% 18.1%
1991 0.62% 18.1%
1992 0.61% 18.1%
1993 0.6% 17.9%
1994 0.59% 17.7%
1995 0.57% 17.3%
1996 0.55% 17%
1997 0.52% 16.7%
1998 0.5% 16.3%
1999 0.47% 15.9%
2000 0.45% 15.3%
2001 0.43% 14.4%
2002 0.41% 13.4%
2003 0.4% 12.4%
2004 0.39% 11.4%
2005 0.37% 10.5%
2006 0.36% 9.71%
2007 0.35% 9.14%
2008 0.34% 8.62%
2009 0.34% 8%
2010 0.33% 7.57%
2011 0.33% 7.31%
2012 0.31% 7.04%
2013 0.3% 6.72%
2014 0.29% 6.38%
2015 0.28% 6.15%
2016 0.27% 5.9%
2017 0.26% 5.61%
2018 0.25% 5.52%
2019 0.25% 5.41%
2020 0.24% 5.24%
2021 0.24% 4.92%
2022 0.24% 4.67%
2023 0.24% 4.47%

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Birth rate comparisons

Birth rate vs Japan vs Zambia
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