People displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan
Japan: People displaced internally by natural disasters was 8,600 number of cases in 2023. ◆ Volatile
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan, 2008–2023
Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number of cases.
Analysis
The most recent figure for people displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan is 8,600 number of cases, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 83.1% on the previous year and down 98.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan peaked at 892,000 number of cases in 2011 and was at its lowest, 800 number of cases, in 2008.
Japan ranks 72nd of 146 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan, year by year
| Year | number of cases | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 800 number of cases | — |
| 2010 | 85,000 number of cases | +10525.0% |
| 2011 | 892,000 number of cases | +949.4% |
| 2012 | 308,000 number of cases | -65.5% |
| 2013 | 639,000 number of cases | +107.5% |
| 2014 | 707,000 number of cases | +10.6% |
| 2015 | 486,000 number of cases | -31.3% |
| 2016 | 863,000 number of cases | +77.6% |
| 2017 | 21,000 number of cases | -97.6% |
| 2018 | 146,000 number of cases | +595.2% |
| 2019 | 265,000 number of cases | +81.5% |
| 2020 | 186,000 number of cases | -29.8% |
| 2021 | 14,000 number of cases | -92.5% |
| 2022 | 51,000 number of cases | +264.3% |
| 2023 | 8,600 number of cases | -83.1% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 8,600 number of cases is above the median for high income countries, which is 1,700 number of cases, 5.1× the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Japan's 8,600 number of cases is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8,600 number of cases, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +10525.0% | 800 number of cases | 85,000 number of cases |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 800 number of cases | 800 number of cases | 800 number of cases | 1 |
| 2010s | 441,200 number of cases | 21,000 number of cases | 892,000 number of cases | 10 |
| 2020s | 64,900 number of cases | 8,600 number of cases | 186,000 number of cases | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.981 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan?
- People displaced internally by natural disasters in Japan was 8,600 number of cases in 2023, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 892,000 number of cases in 2011.
- What is the lowest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 800 number of cases in 2008.
- How does Japan rank for people displaced internally by natural disasters?
- Japan ranks 72nd out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
- Is people displaced internally by natural disasters rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 98.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People displaced internally by natural disasters. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Internally-displaced persons are defined as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, as a result of natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border.