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Japan

2025 Edition · 435 data fields

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Introduction

Background

In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries, this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32, Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937, it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1941, triggering America's entry into World War II, and Japan soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, the country recovered to become an economic power and a US ally. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold the decision-making power. After three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains an economic power. In 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake and an accompanying tsunami devastated the northeast part of Honshu, killed thousands, and damaged several nuclear power plants. ABE Shinzo was reelected as prime minister in 2012, and he embarked on ambitious economic and security reforms to improve Japan's economy and bolster the country's international standing. In 2019, ABE became Japan's longest-serving post-war prime minister; he resigned in 2020 and was succeeded by SUGA Yoshihide. KISHIDA Fumio became prime minister in 2021.

Geography

Area

Land: 364,485 sq km
Note: note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
Total: 377,915 sq km
Water: 13,430 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than California

Climate

varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north

Coastline

29,751 km

Continent

Asia

Elevation

Highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m
Mean elevation: 438 m

Geographic coordinates

36 00 N, 138 00 E

Geography - note

note 1: strategic location in northeast Asia; composed of four main islands (the "Home Islands") -- Hokkaido, Honshu (the largest, most populous, and site of Tokyo, the capital), Shikoku, and Kyushu note 2: a 2023 Geospatial Information Authority of Japan survey detected 100,000 islands and islets, but only the 14,125 islands with a circumference of at least 100 m (330 ft) were officially counted; about 260 of the islands are inhabited note 3: Japan annually records the most earthquakes in the world; it is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes

Irrigated land

15,730 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

Total: 0 km

Land use

Agricultural land: 12.6% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 11.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 0.9% (2023 est.)
arable land: 11.09%
Forest: 68.3% (2023 est.)
Other: 19% (2023 est.)
permanent crops: 0.7%

Landlocked

Location

Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s): Biwa-ko 688 sq km

Map links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/NGTLSCSrA8bMrvnX9
OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/382313

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and the Korea and Tsushima Straits

Natural hazards

many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic occurrences (mostly tremors but occasional severe earthquakes) every year; tsunamis; typhoons volcanism: both Unzen (1,500 m) and Sakura-jima (1,117 m), which lies near the densely populated city of Kagoshima, have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; other notable historically active volcanoes include Asama (Honshu Island's most active volcano), Aso, Bandai, Fuji, Iwo-Jima, Kikai, Kirishima, Komaga-take, Oshima, Suwanosejima, Tokachi, Yake-dake, and Usu; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

Natural resources

negligible mineral resources, fish
note: note: with virtually no natural energy resources, Japan is almost totally dependent on imported sources of energy

Population distribution

all primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)

Subregion

Eastern Asia

Terrain

mostly rugged and mountainous

Time zone

UTC+09:00
number of time zones: 1

People and Society

Age structure

0-14 years: 12.1% (male 7,701,196/female 7,239,389)
15-64 years: 58.4% (male 36,197,840/female 35,777,966)
65 years and over: 29.5% (2024 est.) (male 15,976,233/female 20,309,321)

Alcohol consumption per capita

Beer: 1.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 5.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 8.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 0.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

6.84 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50% (2020 est.)

Death rate

12.04 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
adult female: 37 per 1,000
adult male: 66 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio: 50.4 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 2 (2024 est.)
Total dependency ratio: 71.2 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 20.8 (2024 est.)

Drinking water source

improved total: 98.73%
Improved: total: total: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 3.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 7.5% national budget (2022 est.)

Education expenditures

3 % of GDP

Ethnic groups

Japanese 97.5%, Chinese 0.6%, Vietnam 0.4%, South Korean 0.3%, other 1.2% (includes Filipino, Brazilian, Nepalese, Indonesian, American, and Taiwanese) (2022 est.)
note: note: data represent population by nationality; up to 230,000 Brazilians of Japanese origin migrated to Japan in the 1990s to work in industries; some have returned to Brazil

Gross reproduction rate

0.68 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

11 % of GDP
Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 10.8% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 23.4% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

12.7 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Female: 1.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 2 deaths/1,000 live births
neonatal: 1 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 1.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages: Japanese
Major-language sample(s): 必要不可欠な基本情報の源、ワールド・ファクトブック(Japanese) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
number of languages: 1

Life expectancy at birth

Female: 88.2 years
Male: 82.3 years
Total population: 85.2 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

37.194 million TOKYO (capital), 19.013 million Osaka, 9.569 million Nagoya, 5.490 million Kitakyushu-Fukuoka, 2.937 million Shizuoka-Hamamatsu, 2.666 million Sapporo (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

3 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

Female: 51.3 years
Male: 48.3 years
Total: 50.2 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

30.7 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Japanese
Noun: Japanese (singular and plural)

Net migration rate

0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

4.3% (2016)

Physician density

2.65 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

Female: 63,326,676
Male: 59,875,269
Total: 123,201,945 (2024 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.45% (2025 est.)

Religions

Shintoism 48.6%, Buddhism 46.4%, Christianity 1.1%, other 4% (2021 est.)
note: note: total adherents among persons claiming a religious affiliation

Sanitation facility access

improved total: 99.19%
Improved: total: total: 99.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.1% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Female: 16 years (2022 est.)
Male: 16 years (2022 est.)
Total: 16 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

Female: 7.2% (2025 est.)
Male: 24.4% (2025 est.)
Total: 15.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.41 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization: -0.25% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Urban population: 92% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles: 95%

Government

Administrative divisions

47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka, Fukushima, Gifu, Gunma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi, Yamanashi

Capital

Etymology: originally known as Edo, meaning "estuary" because of its location on a bay; the name was changed to Tokyo, meaning "eastern capital," in 1868, as a contrast to Kyoto, the previous capital to the west
Geographic coordinates: 35 41 N, 139 45 E
Name: Tokyo
Time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Japan
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Coat of arms

svg: https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/jp.svg

Constitution

Amendment process: proposed by the Diet; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority of both houses of the Diet and approval by majority in a referendum
History: previous 1890; latest approved 6 October 1946, adopted 3 November 1946, effective 3 May 1947

Country name

alternative spellings: JP, Nippon, Nihon
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Japan
Etymology: the English word for Japan comes from the Chinese name for the country, Cipangu; both Nihon and Nippon come from the Japanese words nichi, or "sun," and hon, or "origin," which is frequently translated as "Land of the Rising Sun"
FIFA code: JPN
Local long form: Nihon-koku/Nippon-koku
local long form (jpn): 日本
Local short form: Nihon/Nippon

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission: Ambassador George GLASS (since 17 July 2025)
Consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
Email address and website: TokyoACS@state.gov https://jp.usembassy.gov/
Embassy: 1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
FAX: [81] (03) 3224-5856
Mailing address: 9800 Tokyo Place, Washington DC  20521-9800
Telephone: [81] (03) 3224-5000

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Chief of mission: Ambassador YAMADA Shigeo (since 27 February 2024)
Consulate(s): Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands), Seattle (WA)
Consulate(s) general: Chicago
Email address and website: emb-consulate.dc@ws.mofa.go.jp https://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/itprtop_en/index.html
FAX: [1] (202) 328-2187
Telephone: [1] (202) 238-6700

Executive branch

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
Chief of state: Emperor NARUHITO (since 1 May 2019)
Election results: 2025: Sanae TAKAICHI (LDP) elected prime minister on 21 October 2025; upper house vote - 125 of 171 votes (runoff); lower house vote - 237 of 386 votes 2024: Shigeru ISHIBA (LDP) elected prime minister on 27 September 2024; upper house vote - 143 of 242 votes; lower house vote - 291 of 461 votes
Election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; the leader of the majority party or majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes prime minister
Head of government: Prime Minister Sanae TAKAICHI (since 21 October 2025)
Note: note: Shigeru ISHIBA resigned as prime minister on 7 September 2025; the party vote on the new prime minister is expected in early October 2025

Flag

description: white with a large red disk that symbolizes the sun without rays, in the center history: the current flag was adopted in 1854, but a sun flag has been in use in Japan since at least 1184; the sun has long been a national symbol: according to tradition, the sun goddess Amaterasu founded the country in the 7th century B.C.

Flag description

The flag of Japan features a crimson-red circle at the center of a white field.

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/jp.svg

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Independence

3 May 1947 (current constitution adopted as amendment to Meiji Constitution); notable earlier dates: 11 February 660 B.C. (mythological date of Emperor JIMMU founding the nation); 29 November 1890 (Meiji Constitution provides for constitutional monarchy)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, CPLP (associate), EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Quad, SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Saiko saibansho (consists of the chief justice and 14 associate justices)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice designated by the Cabinet and appointed by the monarch; associate justices appointed by the Cabinet and confirmed by the monarch; all justices are reviewed in a popular referendum during the first general election of the House of Representatives after each judge's appointment and every 10 years afterward
Note: note: the Supreme Court has jurisdiction in constitutional issues
Subordinate courts: 8 High Courts (Koto-saiban-sho), each with a Family Court (Katei-saiban-sho); 50 District Courts (Chiho saibansho), with 203 additional branches; 438 Summary Courts (Kani saibansho)

Legal system

civil law system based on German model; also reflects Anglo-American influence and Japanese traditions; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts

Legislative branch

Legislative structure: bicameral
Legislature name: National Diet (Kokkai)

Legislative branch - lower chamber

Chamber name: House of Representatives (Shugiin)
Electoral system: mixed system
Expected date of next election: October 2028
Most recent election date: 7/20/2025
Number of seats: 465 (all directly elected)
Parties elected and seats per party: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (191); Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (148); Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) (38); Democratic Party for the People (28); Komeito (24); Other (36)
Percentage of women in chamber: 15.7%
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

Chamber name: House of Councillors (Sangiin)
Electoral system: mixed system
Expected date of next election: June 2028
Most recent election date: 10/27/2024
Number of seats: 248 (all directly elected)
Parties elected and seats per party: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) (39); Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (22); Democratic Party for the People (17); Sanseito (14); Komeito (8); Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party) (7); Independents (8); Other (10)
Percentage of women in chamber: 29.4%
Scope of elections: partial renewal
Term in office: 6 years

National coat of arms

the Kikumon is the Japanese emperor's family coat of arms and dates from 1183; the Imperial chrysanthemum emblem (菊の御紋, kikunogomon) is a yellow or orange chrysanthemum with black or red outlines and background; a central disc is surrounded by a front set of 16 petals; a rear set of 16 petals are half-staggered in relation to the front set and are visible at the edges of the flower

National color(s)

red, white

National heritage

Selected World Heritage Site locales: Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area (c); Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (c); Himeji-jo (c); Shiretoko (n); Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan (c); Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan (c); Yakushima (n); Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) (c); Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) (c); Shirakami-Sanchi (n); Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama (c); Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (c); Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara (c); Shrines and Temples of Nikko (c); Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (c); Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (c); Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land (c); Ogasawara Islands (n); Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region (c); Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region (c); Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island (n); Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan (c)
Total World Heritage Sites: 26 (21 cultural, 5 natural)

National holiday

Birthday of Emperor NARUHITO, 23 February (1960)
note: note: celebrates the birthday of the current emperor

National symbol(s)

red sun disc, chrysanthemum

Political parties

Conservative Party of Japan or CPJ Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan or CDP Democratic Party for the People or DPFP or DPP Japan Communist Party or JCP Japan Innovation Party or Nippon Ishin no kai or Ishin Komeito or Komei Liberal Democratic Party or LDP Okinawa Social Mass Party or Okinawa Whirlwind or OW Party to Protect the People from NHK or NHK Reiwa Shinsengumi Sanseito Party Social Democratic Party or SDP

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

UN Member

Yes

Economy

Agricultural products

rice, milk, sugar beets, vegetables, eggs, chicken, potatoes, onions, cabbages, pork (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

On alcohol and tobacco: 2.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On food: 15.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

Expenditures: $897.03 billion (2022 est.)
Note: note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $661.986 billion (2022 est.)

Currency

code: JPY
name: Japanese yen (JPY) [¥]

Current account balance

$194.26 billion
Current account balance 2022: $90.21 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: $156.592 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: $194.257 billion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

second-largest East Asian economy; trade-oriented and highly diversified; high public debt levels; following years of near-zero interest rates, gradual increases to address inflation and depreciation of yen; strong rebound in tourism; aging population poses challenges to labor force participation

Exchange rates

Currency: yen (JPY) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 106.775 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 109.754 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 131.498 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 140.491 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 151.366 (2024 est.)

Exports

$917.04 billion
Exports 2022: $922.813 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $923.488 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $922.447 billion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

cars, integrated circuits, machinery, vehicle parts/accessories, construction vehicles (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

USA 19%, China 18%, Taiwan 6%, S. Korea 6%, Hong Kong 4% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows: $16.16 billion

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services: 21.5% (2022 est.)
Government consumption: 21.6% (2022 est.)
Household consumption: 55.5% (2022 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -25.3% (2022 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 26.3% (2022 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.5% (2022 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 0.9% (2023 est.)
Industry: 28.6% (2023 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 69.8% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$4.026 trillion (2024 est.)
note: note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$32,487

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

32.9 (2013)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020: 32.3 (2020 est.)
Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

GNI (gross national income)

$4.29 trillion

GNI per capita

$36,000

Gross domestic investment

26 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%: 23.9% (2020 est.)
Lowest 10%: 2.4% (2020 est.)
Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$952.04 billion
Imports 2022: $1.081 trillion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $996.364 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $965.047 billion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 22%, USA 11%, Australia 8%, UAE 5%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

1.4% (2023 est.)
note: note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals, textiles, processed foods

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.74%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 2.5% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 3.3% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.7% (2024 est.)
Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

69.382 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 69.39 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2.81%
industry: 23.23%
services: 73.96%

Public debt

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2022: 215.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.45 trillion
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $5.627 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $5.71 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $5.715 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

0.1%
Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 0.9% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 1.5% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 0.1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$52,039
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $45,000 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $45,900 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $46,100 (2024 est.)

Remittances

$4.64 billion
Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.23 trillion
Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $1.228 trillion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $1.295 trillion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $1.231 trillion (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate

2.45%
Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 2.6% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 2.6% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 2.6% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female: 3.7% (2024 est.)
Male: 4.2% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 3.9% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Consumption: 197.612 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.615 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 170.874 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 27.657 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 350 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 902.769 billion kWh (2023 est.)
consumption per capita: 7,655 kWh
Installed generating capacity: 361.617 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 41.79 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

Biomass and waste: 6.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 65.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Geothermal: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectric: 8.48%
Hydroelectricity: 7.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear: 8.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
renewable: 21.1%
Solar: 10.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Wind: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

3,039 kg of oil equivalent
Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 129.504 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

Consumption: 88.317 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 271.607 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Imports: 85.003 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 2.019 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 20.898 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 12.63GW (2025 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 27 (2025)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 2 (2025)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 14 (2025)
Percent of total electricity production: 5.5% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Crude oil estimated reserves: 44.115 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 3.14 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
Total petroleum production: 8,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

8.8%

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants: 39 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (2023 est.)
Total: 47.9 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

a mix of public and commercial TV and radio stations; 5 national terrestrial TV networks including 1 public broadcaster; large number of radio and TV stations; satellite and cable services provide access to international channels (2023)

Internet country code

.jp

Internet users

Percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)

Postal code format

###-####

Telephone calling code

+81

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2023 est.)
Total subscriptions: 59.758 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100: 178 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 168 (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 219 million (2023 est.)

Transportation

Air transport

passengers carried: 120.31 million passengers
registered carrier departures: 975,616 departures

Airports

280 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Driving side

Left

Heliports

3,036 (2025)

Merchant marine

By type: bulk carrier 166, container ship 49, general cargo 1,893, oil tanker 666, other 2,455
Total: 5,229 (2023)

Ports

Key ports: Kawasaki Ko, Kobe, Mikawa, Nagasaki, Nagoya Ko, Onomichi-Itozaki, Osaka, Tokyo Ko, Wakamatsu Ko, Wakayama-Shimotsu Ko, Yokohama Ko
Large: 11
Medium: 26
Ports with oil terminals: 99
Size unknown: 1
Small: 54
Total ports: 163 (2024)
Very small: 71

Railways

Dual gauge: 132 km (2015) 1.435-1.067-m gauge (132 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 124 km (2015) 1.372-m gauge (124 km electrified)
Note: 22,207 km 1.067-mm gauge (15,430 km electrified) 48 km 0.762-m gauge (48 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 4,800 km (2015) 1.435-m gauge (4,800 km electrified)
Total: 27,311 km (2015)

Vehicle registration code

Military and Security

Land forces

armored vehicles
tanks

Military - note

the Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) has a range of missions, including territorial defense, monitoring the country’s air and maritime spaces, countering piracy and terrorism, and conducting humanitarian operations; the JSDF exercises regularly with the US military and increasingly with other regional countries, including Australia and the Philippines Japan’s alliance with the US is one of the cornerstones of the country’s security, as well as a large component of the US security posture in Asia; the US-Japan mutual defense treaty grants the US the right to base US military forces in Japan, including aircraft and ships, in return for US security guarantees; the Japanese Government provides approximately $3 billion on average per year to offset the cost of stationing US forces in Japan; in addition, it pays compensation to localities hosting US troops, rent for bases, and costs for new facilities to support the US presence; Japan also has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation Japan was disarmed after its defeat in World War II; shortly after the Korean War began in 1950, US occupation forces in Japan created a 75,000-member lightly armed force called the National Police Reserve; the JSDF was founded in 1954; Article 9 of Japan’s 1947 constitution renounced the use of force as a means of settling international disputes; however, Japan has interpreted Article 9 to mean that it can maintain a military for national defense purposes and, since 1991, has allowed the JSDF to participate in noncombat roles overseas in a number of UN peacekeeping missions and in the US-led coalition in Iraq; in 2014-2015, the Japanese Government reinterpreted the constitution as allowing for "collective self-defense," described as the use of force on others’ behalf if Japan’s security was threatened; in 2022, the government released security policy documents that declared Japan’s intention to develop "counterstrike” capabilities, including armed drones and cruise missiles, and outlined plans to increase Japan’s security-related expenditures to 2% of GDP (2025)

Military and security forces

Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF): Ground Self-Defense Force (Rikujou Jieitai, GSDF; includes aviation), Maritime Self-Defense Force (Kaijou Jieitai, MSDF; includes naval aviation), Air Self-Defense Force (Koukuu Jieitai, ASDF) (2025)
active duty personnel: 261,000
note: note: the Coast Guard is under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; it is barred by law from operating as a military force, but in times of conflict Article 80 of the 1954 Self-Defense Forces Act permits the transfer of control of the coast guard to the Ministry of Defense with Cabinet approval
percent of total labor force: 0.38 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 230-240,000 active Self Defense Forces  (2025)

Military deployments

maintains a presence of about 400 military personnel at a permanent base in Djibouti (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the JSDF is equipped largely with domestically produced weapons platforms; most of its imported arms are from the US; Japan's defense industry is capable of producing a wide range of air, ground, and naval weapons systems; some domestically produced weapons are US-origin and manufactured under license (2025)

Military expenditures

1 % of GDP
current USD: $55,273,904,317
Military Expenditures 2020: 1% of GDP (2020 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 1% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 1.4% of GDP (2024 est.)
percent of central government expenditure: 3.25 %
percent of GDP: 1.37 % of GDP

Military service age and obligation

18-32 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025)
note: note: as of 2023, women made up about 9% of the military's full-time personnel

Military strength ranking

PowerIndex score: 0.1876

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 29,244 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 60,361 (2024 est.)
Stateless persons: 505 (2024 est.)

Space

Key space-program milestones

1966-1970 - initiated satellite launch vehicle (SLV) program and launched first domestically produced satellite (OHSUMI) 1985 - launched two Halley’s Comet observation satellites (Japan’s first missions beyond Earth’s orbit) 1992 - first astronaut in space on US Space Shuttle 1998 - launched its first Mars orbiter (failed to enter orbit) 2003 - launched world’s first uncrewed spacecraft (Hayabusa 1) to return with a sample from an asteroid (2010) 2007 - launched Lunar orbiter (Kaguya) mission 2010 - launched Venus orbiter (Akatsuki) mission 2014 - launched asteroid probe with lander/rover (Hayabusa 2); first Japanese International Space Station commander 2018 - launched joint Japan-ESA probe to Mercury (BepiColombo); began operation of a navigational/positioning satellite constellation (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, QZSS) 2019 - began participating in US-led lunar orbital station and Moon exploration programs 2024 - soft-landed unmanned spacecraft (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon or SLIM) on the Moon; conducted first successful test launch of domestically produced H3 medium-lift SLV

Space agency/agencies

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA; established in 2003) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

Tanegashima Space Center/Yoshinobu Launch Complex (Kagoshima), Uchinoura Space Center (Kagoshima), Noshiro Testing Center (Akita) (2025)

Space program overview

has one of the world’s largest and most advanced space programs, with independent capabilities in all areas except autonomous manned space flight; designs, builds, launches, and operates the full spectrum of satellites; designs, builds, and independently launches satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs) and other spacecraft; has a wide range of research and development programs; has an astronaut training program; participates in international programs such as the International Space Station and the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope project; leads the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum and co-leads the Global Earth Observation System of Systems; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Canada, the ESA and its member states, India, Russia, the UAE, the US; has a commercial space industry that develops space-related capabilities and technologies, including satellites, satellite payloads and subcomponents, and SLVs; in recent years, the Japanese Government has supported space startup companies (2025)

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions

From coal and metallurgical coke: 367.144 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 190.043 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 403.042 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Total emissions: 960.23 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution from power plants results in acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality; waste management issues; ongoing environmental clean-up in small area of Fukushima after nuclear accident in 2011

Geoparks

Global geoparks and regional networks: Aso UNESCO; Hakusan Tedorigawa; Itoigawa; Izu Peninsula; Mt. Apoi; Muroto; Oki Islands; San'in Kaigan; Toya - Usu; Unzen (2023)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 10

International environmental agreements

Party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

Agriculture: 972.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 214.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Other: 22.7 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 208.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

10.5 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

15 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

13 % of total

Total renewable water resources

430 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

19 % of internal resources
Agricultural: 53 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Industrial: 13 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Municipal: 13.5 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 42.72 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 11.5% (2022 est.)