Global Population: Overview
Population is defined as the total number of people residing in a country or region.
The global population is currently growing at a low single-digit growth rate per year. The annual population growth rate is anticipated to be 81 million people per year. The world population has more than doubled from 1959 to the 2000s. The annual population growth rate reached its peak in the late 1960s. Since then the rate of increase has nearly halved and is expected to continue to decline worldwide in the coming years.
Population Growth Analysis of Japan
Between 2015-2021, Japan reported negative YoY growth in its population in 2021, reaching 125.1 million people. Japan reported the highest population in 2008 and its population has been constantly declining since then. Japan has been experiencing a steady decline in its birth and fertility rates for the past few decades. The high cost of education and a highly developed society have contributed to the low birth rate. The population of Japan since the 1960s to today has grown at a very slow pace.
The population is expected to decline at an annual average rate of 0.4% over 2022–26. The median age was 49 years in 2021, which is suggestive of an elderly population. According to Japan’s Health Ministry data, the number of newborns in Japan fell to a record low of 842,897 in 2021, marking six straight years of decline. The figure was down by 29,786, equivalent to a decline of 3.4%, from the previous year, reflecting a continued trend of a shrinking population in Japan. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokyo experienced a population contraction for the first time in 26 years.
Population Segmentation of Japan
Gender: The male and female population of Japan reported steady growth between 2015 and 2021. The country had a large number of female population over the male population since the 1960s. Between 1960-2021, Japan had the highest number of female population in 2010 and the highest number of male population in 2007.
Urban and Rural Population: Japan has a larger proportion of people living in urban areas. The number of people living in the urban areas has always been larger than the number of people living in the rural areas of Japan since the 1960s. Between 1960-2021, Japan had the highest number of people residing in the rural areas in 1960 and the highest number of people residing in the urban areas in 2011.
Age: In 2021, the share of the population below 15 years of age was 12.6%, compared to 16.1% in 1995. The share is expected to decrease further to 12% by 2025. The old-age population’s share (above 65 years) was 14.4% in 1995, which increased to 28.8% in 2021. According to GlobalData, this share is expected to increase to 29.7% by 2025.
Factors Affecting Population Growth of a Country
The economy, female fertility rates, birth rates, death rates, healthcare facilities, expanding urbanisation, immigration and emigration rates, education, and other social and cultural variables all influence population growth.
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