Population by labor force status in Japan
Japan: Population by labor force status was 13.83 million people in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
13.83 million people
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
29th
of 186 countries
All-time high
21.55 million people
in 1991
All-time low
13.83 million people
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Population by labor force status in Japan, 1991–2025
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2025, population by labor force status in Japan stood at 13.83 million people. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population by labor force status in Japan peaked at 21.55 million people in 1991 and was at its lowest, 13.83 million people, in 2025.
Japan ranks 29th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Population by labor force status in Japan, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 21.55 million people | — |
| 1992 | 20.98 million people | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 20.47 million people | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 20.03 million people | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 19.65 million people | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 19.31 million people | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 19.02 million people | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 18.75 million people | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 18.49 million people | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 18.27 million people | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 18.09 million people | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 17.94 million people | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 17.81 million people | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 17.69 million people | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 17.59 million people | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 17.50 million people | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 17.41 million people | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 17.34 million people | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 17.25 million people | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 17.14 million people | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 17.02 million people | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 16.88 million people | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 16.72 million people | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 16.54 million people | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 16.35 million people | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 16.18 million people | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 16.02 million people | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 15.85 million people | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 15.67 million people | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 15.44 million people | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 15.14 million people | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 14.82 million people | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 14.49 million people | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 14.15 million people | -2.3% |
| 2025 | 13.83 million people | -2.2% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 13.83 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 941,170 people, 14.7× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Japan's 13.83 million people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.11 million people, 12.5× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.81 million people | 18.49 million people | 21.55 million people | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.69 million people | 17.25 million people | 18.27 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.44 million people | 15.67 million people | 17.14 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.65 million people | 13.83 million people | 15.44 million people | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 26 South Africa 16.66 million people compare
- 27 Mozambique 15.74 million people compare
- 28 Algeria 14.20 million people compare
- 30 Cote d'Ivoire 13.23 million people compare
- 31 Myanmar 13.21 million people compare
- 32 Niger 12.91 million people compare
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population by labor force status in Japan?
- Population by labor force status in Japan was 13.83 million people in 2025, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population by labor force status recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 21.55 million people in 1991.
- What is the lowest population by labor force status recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.83 million people in 2025.
- How does Japan rank for population by labor force status?
- Japan ranks 29th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population by labor force status rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Population by labor force status. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Population below working age (under 15 years old).