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Japan vs South Korea: population pyramids compared

Japan is about 2.4 times as large as South Korea, but size is only part of the story. Compare the two age structures on one percentage scale for 2026 and 2050, with every indicator side by side.

Estimate or projection?

UN estimates run through 2023; figures from 2024 onward are medium-scenario projections.

Japan and South Korea in 2026

Japan population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Japan population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 18,413 (0.0%) 100+ females: 107,594 (0.1%) 100+ 95–99 males: 153,296 (0.1%) 95–99 females: 550,745 (0.4%) 95–99 90–94 males: 682,809 (0.6%) 90–94 females: 1,585,819 (1.3%) 90–94 85–89 males: 1,627,377 (1.3%) 85–89 females: 2,678,119 (2.2%) 85–89 80–84 males: 2,574,414 (2.1%) 80–84 females: 3,459,285 (2.8%) 80–84 75–79 males: 4,024,903 (3.3%) 75–79 females: 4,785,560 (3.9%) 75–79 70–74 males: 3,605,001 (2.9%) 70–74 females: 3,892,897 (3.2%) 70–74 65–69 males: 3,575,323 (2.9%) 65–69 females: 3,647,469 (3.0%) 65–69 60–64 males: 3,877,719 (3.2%) 60–64 females: 3,828,838 (3.1%) 60–64 55–59 males: 4,495,243 (3.7%) 55–59 females: 4,412,053 (3.6%) 55–59 50–54 males: 4,934,051 (4.0%) 50–54 females: 4,866,305 (4.0%) 50–54 45–49 males: 4,098,257 (3.3%) 45–49 females: 4,031,182 (3.3%) 45–49 40–44 males: 3,604,791 (2.9%) 40–44 females: 3,523,816 (2.9%) 40–44 35–39 males: 3,217,041 (2.6%) 35–39 females: 3,100,776 (2.5%) 35–39 30–34 males: 3,062,044 (2.5%) 30–34 females: 2,942,385 (2.4%) 30–34 25–29 males: 3,133,635 (2.6%) 25–29 females: 3,011,361 (2.5%) 25–29 20–24 males: 3,147,954 (2.6%) 20–24 females: 3,003,501 (2.5%) 20–24 15–19 males: 2,897,193 (2.4%) 15–19 females: 2,745,887 (2.2%) 15–19 10–14 males: 2,662,610 (2.2%) 10–14 females: 2,521,039 (2.1%) 10–14 5–9 males: 2,301,492 (1.9%) 5–9 females: 2,191,856 (1.8%) 5–9 0–4 males: 1,968,258 (1.6%) 0–4 females: 1,879,422 (1.5%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

South Korea population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
South Korea population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 684 (0.0%) 100+ females: 12,428 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 11,844 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 78,663 (0.2%) 95–99 90–94 males: 82,873 (0.2%) 90–94 females: 269,594 (0.5%) 90–94 85–89 males: 275,754 (0.5%) 85–89 females: 559,159 (1.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 529,063 (1.0%) 80–84 females: 786,090 (1.5%) 80–84 75–79 males: 835,452 (1.6%) 75–79 females: 1,024,362 (2.0%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,275,951 (2.5%) 70–74 females: 1,444,420 (2.8%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,874,646 (3.6%) 65–69 females: 1,998,626 (3.9%) 65–69 60–64 males: 2,020,054 (3.9%) 60–64 females: 2,038,251 (4.0%) 60–64 55–59 males: 2,184,638 (4.2%) 55–59 females: 2,193,613 (4.3%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,112,897 (4.1%) 50–54 females: 2,062,726 (4.0%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,008,271 (3.9%) 45–49 females: 1,927,543 (3.7%) 45–49 40–44 males: 1,897,659 (3.7%) 40–44 females: 1,768,961 (3.4%) 40–44 35–39 males: 1,753,722 (3.4%) 35–39 females: 1,562,905 (3.0%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,965,051 (3.8%) 30–34 females: 1,699,289 (3.3%) 30–34 25–29 males: 1,752,250 (3.4%) 25–29 females: 1,596,531 (3.1%) 25–29 20–24 males: 1,344,765 (2.6%) 20–24 females: 1,244,313 (2.4%) 20–24 15–19 males: 1,205,370 (2.3%) 15–19 females: 1,136,089 (2.2%) 15–19 10–14 males: 1,142,171 (2.2%) 10–14 females: 1,088,176 (2.1%) 10–14 5–9 males: 818,472 (1.6%) 5–9 females: 778,681 (1.5%) 5–9 0–4 males: 635,278 (1.2%) 0–4 females: 603,105 (1.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Key differences between Japan and South Korea

Age. Japan is the older population, with a median age of 50.2 years against 46.2 in South Korea — a gap of 4.0 years. Japan has the larger share of children (11.0% under 15 versus 9.8%), while Japan has the larger share aged 65 and over (30.2% versus 21.4%).

Births and survival. Japan’s fertility rate of 1.23 is below the replacement level, and South Korea’s 0.76 is below it. Life expectancy at birth is 85.1 years in Japan and 84.6 in South Korea.

Dependency. The total age dependency ratio is 70.2 in Japan (18.8 children and 51.4 older people per 100 aged 15–64) and 45.5 in South Korea (14.3 and 31.2). Similar totals can hide very different mixes of young and old.

Outlook. Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario has Japan’s population declines by 14% and South Korea’s declines by 13%. These are scenario results, not forecasts; how projections work explains the assumptions.

Japan vs South Korea: indicators side by side

IndicatorJapanSouth Korea
Population, 2026122,427,73151,600,388
Median age50.2 years46.2 years
Under age 1511.0%9.8%
Aged 15–6458.8%68.7%
Aged 65+30.2%21.4%
Age dependency ratio70.245.5
Fertility rate1.230.76
Life expectancy at birth85.1 years84.6 years
Annual growth-0.6%-0.1%
Males per 100 females95.199.4
Population, 2050105,123,16745,143,134
Change, 2026–2050-14.1%-12.5%
Population, 210076,845,98921,848,791
Peak year20092020
Global population rank#12#31

2026, 2050, and 2100 values are UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium-scenario projections.

How the two pyramids could look in 2050

The same scale is kept for the projected charts, so a narrowing base or widening top can be compared directly with the 2026 shapes above.

Japan population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Japan population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 79,858 (0.1%) 100+ females: 342,129 (0.3%) 100+ 95–99 males: 383,414 (0.4%) 95–99 females: 1,043,047 (1.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 1,055,492 (1.0%) 90–94 females: 1,963,489 (1.9%) 90–94 85–89 males: 2,020,391 (1.9%) 85–89 females: 2,868,114 (2.7%) 85–89 80–84 males: 3,005,939 (2.9%) 80–84 females: 3,643,200 (3.5%) 80–84 75–79 males: 4,011,797 (3.8%) 75–79 females: 4,519,449 (4.3%) 75–79 70–74 males: 3,701,172 (3.5%) 70–74 females: 3,965,595 (3.8%) 70–74 65–69 males: 3,348,020 (3.2%) 65–69 females: 3,450,423 (3.3%) 65–69 60–64 males: 3,064,753 (2.9%) 60–64 females: 3,048,097 (2.9%) 60–64 55–59 males: 2,857,753 (2.7%) 55–59 females: 2,798,814 (2.7%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,856,128 (2.7%) 50–54 females: 2,782,633 (2.6%) 50–54 45–49 males: 2,996,718 (2.9%) 45–49 females: 2,905,363 (2.8%) 45–49 40–44 males: 3,064,838 (2.9%) 40–44 females: 2,994,515 (2.8%) 40–44 35–39 males: 2,956,861 (2.8%) 35–39 females: 2,893,658 (2.8%) 35–39 30–34 males: 2,708,505 (2.6%) 30–34 females: 2,669,806 (2.5%) 30–34 25–29 males: 2,409,483 (2.3%) 25–29 females: 2,393,620 (2.3%) 25–29 20–24 males: 2,248,930 (2.1%) 20–24 females: 2,217,760 (2.1%) 20–24 15–19 males: 2,046,842 (1.9%) 15–19 females: 1,983,560 (1.9%) 15–19 10–14 males: 2,051,023 (2.0%) 10–14 females: 1,976,018 (1.9%) 10–14 5–9 males: 2,038,550 (1.9%) 5–9 females: 1,957,742 (1.9%) 5–9 0–4 males: 1,942,271 (1.8%) 0–4 females: 1,857,395 (1.8%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

South Korea population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
South Korea population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 13,110 (0.0%) 100+ females: 80,964 (0.2%) 100+ 95–99 males: 103,281 (0.2%) 95–99 females: 313,307 (0.7%) 95–99 90–94 males: 446,632 (1.0%) 90–94 females: 877,755 (1.9%) 90–94 85–89 males: 928,793 (2.1%) 85–89 females: 1,385,486 (3.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 1,372,563 (3.0%) 80–84 females: 1,748,672 (3.9%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,684,841 (3.7%) 75–79 females: 1,915,579 (4.2%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,679,565 (3.7%) 70–74 females: 1,785,201 (4.0%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,788,395 (4.0%) 65–69 females: 1,790,849 (4.0%) 65–69 60–64 males: 1,606,574 (3.6%) 60–64 females: 1,501,319 (3.3%) 60–64 55–59 males: 1,829,595 (4.1%) 55–59 females: 1,622,388 (3.6%) 55–59 50–54 males: 1,677,248 (3.7%) 50–54 females: 1,545,397 (3.4%) 50–54 45–49 males: 1,324,649 (2.9%) 45–49 females: 1,251,032 (2.8%) 45–49 40–44 males: 1,231,489 (2.7%) 40–44 females: 1,195,056 (2.6%) 40–44 35–39 males: 1,244,759 (2.8%) 35–39 females: 1,216,500 (2.7%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,008,485 (2.2%) 30–34 females: 989,013 (2.2%) 30–34 25–29 males: 796,987 (1.8%) 25–29 females: 781,375 (1.7%) 25–29 20–24 males: 785,098 (1.7%) 20–24 females: 761,018 (1.7%) 20–24 15–19 males: 675,318 (1.5%) 15–19 females: 650,608 (1.4%) 15–19 10–14 males: 617,393 (1.4%) 10–14 females: 592,774 (1.3%) 10–14 5–9 males: 609,735 (1.4%) 5–9 females: 582,295 (1.3%) 5–9 0–4 males: 581,093 (1.3%) 0–4 females: 550,940 (1.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

What shapes Japan’s pyramid

Japan’s pyramid shows two baby booms, at ages 75–79 and 50–54, but no third: the expected echo never arrived, leaving one of the world’s narrowest bases. Read the full Japan analysis.

What shapes South Korea’s pyramid

South Korea’s pyramid shows one of the sharpest base contractions anywhere: ages 0–4 are under a third the width of 55–59 as fertility fell below one. Read the full South Korea analysis.

Explore each country in depth

Questions about Japan and South Korea

Which population is older, Japan or South Korea?

Japan is older: its projected 2026 median age is 50.2 years, compared with 46.2 in South Korea.

Which has a higher fertility rate, Japan or South Korea?

Japan has the higher total fertility rate in 2026: 1.23 births per woman, against 0.76 in South Korea.

Will Japan or South Korea have more people in 2050?

Under the UN medium scenario, Japan is projected to be larger in 2050, with 105.1M people against 45.1M.