Average age of mothers at childbirth in Japan
Japan: Average age of mothers at childbirth was 31.91 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
31.91 years
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
16th
of 236 countries
All-time high
31.91 years
in 2023
All-time low
27.4 years
in 1975
Years of data
77
1947–2023
Average age of mothers at childbirth in Japan, 1947–2023
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Japan recorded 31.91 years for average age of mothers at childbirth in 2023. That is the highest value across all 77 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average age of mothers at childbirth in Japan peaked at 31.91 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 27.4 years, in 1975.
That places Japan 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 77 years of available data.
Average age of mothers at childbirth in Japan, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | 30.47 years | — |
| 1948 | 30.19 years | -0.9% |
| 1949 | 29.92 years | -0.9% |
| 1950 | 29.64 years | -0.9% |
| 1951 | 29.55 years | -0.3% |
| 1952 | 29.41 years | -0.5% |
| 1953 | 29.22 years | -0.6% |
| 1954 | 29.05 years | -0.6% |
| 1955 | 28.88 years | -0.6% |
| 1956 | 28.7 years | -0.6% |
| 1957 | 28.5 years | -0.7% |
| 1958 | 28.29 years | -0.8% |
| 1959 | 28.11 years | -0.6% |
| 1960 | 27.94 years | -0.6% |
| 1961 | 27.87 years | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 27.79 years | -0.3% |
| 1963 | 27.79 years | -0.0% |
| 1964 | 27.76 years | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 27.71 years | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 27.66 years | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 27.77 years | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 27.84 years | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 27.88 years | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 27.82 years | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 27.73 years | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 27.63 years | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 27.58 years | -0.2% |
| 1974 | 27.47 years | -0.4% |
| 1975 | 27.4 years | -0.3% |
| 1976 | 27.43 years | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 27.56 years | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 27.67 years | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 27.74 years | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 27.78 years | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 27.83 years | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 27.91 years | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 28.03 years | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 28.16 years | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 28.29 years | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 28.38 years | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 28.52 years | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 28.68 years | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 28.83 years | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 28.96 years | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 29.01 years | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 29.1 years | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 29.18 years | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 29.3 years | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 29.39 years | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 29.48 years | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 29.55 years | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 29.59 years | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 29.62 years | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 29.66 years | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 29.67 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 29.7 years | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 29.82 years | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 29.92 years | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 30 years | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 30.1 years | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 30.2 years | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 30.29 years | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 30.41 years | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 30.52 years | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 30.62 years | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 30.79 years | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 30.93 years | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 31.06 years | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 31.19 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 31.29 years | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 31.35 years | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 31.44 years | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 31.52 years | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 31.6 years | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 31.78 years | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 31.86 years | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 31.91 years | +0.2% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 31.91 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 30.49 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 31.91 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 29.17 years, 1.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 30.19 years | 29.92 years | 30.47 years | 3 |
| 1950s | 28.94 years | 28.11 years | 29.64 years | 10 |
| 1960s | 27.8 years | 27.66 years | 27.94 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.6 years | 27.4 years | 27.82 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.24 years | 27.78 years | 28.83 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.32 years | 28.96 years | 29.62 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.98 years | 29.66 years | 30.41 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.07 years | 30.52 years | 31.52 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.79 years | 31.6 years | 31.91 years | 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 average age of mothers at childbirth in Japan?
- Average age of mothers at childbirth in Japan was 31.91 years in 2023, according to Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 31.91 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest average age of mothers at childbirth recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.4 years in 1975.
- How does Japan rank for average age of mothers at childbirth?
- Japan ranks 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average age of mothers at childbirth rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Average age of mothers at childbirth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Mean age of mothers at the birth of their children if women were subject throughout their lives to the age-specific fertility rates observed in a given year.