Median age in Japan
Japan: Median age was 48.96 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
48.96 years
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
4th
of 236 countries
All-time high
48.96 years
in 2023
All-time low
21.31 years
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Median age in Japan, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, median age in Japan stood at 48.96 years. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, median age in Japan peaked at 48.96 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 21.31 years, in 1950.
Japan ranks 4th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Median age in Japan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 21.31 years | — |
| 1951 | 21.49 years | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 21.74 years | +1.1% |
| 1953 | 22.03 years | +1.3% |
| 1954 | 22.36 years | +1.5% |
| 1955 | 22.73 years | +1.6% |
| 1956 | 23.12 years | +1.7% |
| 1957 | 23.51 years | +1.7% |
| 1958 | 23.92 years | +1.7% |
| 1959 | 24.33 years | +1.7% |
| 1960 | 24.73 years | +1.7% |
| 1961 | 25.14 years | +1.6% |
| 1962 | 25.53 years | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 25.91 years | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 26.27 years | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 26.56 years | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 26.88 years | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 27.21 years | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 27.52 years | +1.2% |
| 1969 | 27.88 years | +1.3% |
| 1970 | 28.25 years | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 28.59 years | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 28.89 years | +1.1% |
| 1973 | 29.18 years | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 29.44 years | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 29.66 years | +0.7% |
| 1976 | 29.87 years | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 30.22 years | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 30.66 years | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 31.18 years | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 31.7 years | +1.7% |
| 1981 | 32.25 years | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 32.82 years | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 33.38 years | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 33.93 years | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 34.47 years | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 34.98 years | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 35.48 years | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 35.96 years | +1.4% |
| 1989 | 36.43 years | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 36.87 years | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 37.31 years | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 37.77 years | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 38.19 years | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 38.6 years | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 38.99 years | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 39.37 years | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 39.74 years | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 40.08 years | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 40.42 years | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 40.75 years | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 41.1 years | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 41.47 years | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 41.83 years | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 42.19 years | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 42.55 years | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 42.9 years | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 43.22 years | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 43.54 years | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 43.88 years | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 44.24 years | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 44.54 years | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 44.81 years | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 45.1 years | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 45.46 years | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 45.84 years | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 46.2 years | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 46.53 years | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 46.89 years | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 47.26 years | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 47.67 years | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 48.12 years | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 48.55 years | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 48.96 years | +0.8% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 48.96 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.36 years, 1.2× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 48.96 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.83 years, 1.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 22.65 years | 21.31 years | 24.33 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 26.36 years | 24.73 years | 27.88 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 29.59 years | 28.25 years | 31.18 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 34.14 years | 31.7 years | 36.43 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.73 years | 36.87 years | 40.42 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.34 years | 40.75 years | 43.88 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.69 years | 44.24 years | 47.26 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.33 years | 47.67 years | 48.96 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 1 Vatican 59.62 years compare
- 2 Monaco 54.36 years compare
- 3 Saint Helena 50.45 years compare
- 5 Martinique 48.79 years compare
- 6 Italy 47.46 years compare
- 7 San Marino 47.39 years compare
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 median age in Japan?
- Median age in Japan was 48.96 years in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest median age recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 48.96 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest median age recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.31 years in 1950.
- How does Japan rank for median age?
- Japan ranks 4th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is median age rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Median age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Age that divides the population into two halves of equal size — half are younger and half are older.