Gender ratio in Japan

In 2026, Japan is projected to have a female-skewed sex ratio of 95.06 males per 100 females, indicating that women outnumber men by a notable margin. Based on the overall female-to-male ratio, Japan ranks 59th out of 237 countries and territories worldwide and ninth out of 51 in Asia, where it places third in the East Asia region behind Hong Kong and Macao. Its gender ratio is comparable to that of Lebanon, Kazakhstan, and North Macedonia.

There are 59,661,823 (59.66 million) males and 62,765,908 (62.77 million) females in Japan, resulting in a female surplus of about 3.10 million people. In percentage terms, females make up 51.27% of the population, compared to 48.73% males. Japan has the highest absolute female surplus within Asia and ranks fourth globally, following Russia, Mexico, and Brazil.

In Japan, the male-to-female ratio has increased from 93.52 males for every 100 females in 1950, peaking at 97.61 in 1981. Since then, the ratio has been declining, and this trend is expected to continue, with projections indicating a further drop to approximately 92.37 males per 100 females by 2067.

The sex ratio at birth in Japan is approximately 105 male births for every 100 female births. This ratio has been consistently declining since 1969, when it peaked at 107.2 male births per 100 female births.

As of 2026, Japan has more males than females in age groups under 65. The highest male-to-female ratio is found in the 10–14 age group, with 105.62 males for every 100 females. For children under 15, the sex ratio is 105.16, while in the working-age population (15–64), the ratio is slightly male-skewed at 102.83 males per 100 females. However, the ratio drops significantly in those over 65, with only 78.53 males for every 100 females. Among the elderly, women greatly outnumber men, with nearly 70% of those in the 90–94 age group being female, and a 6-to-1 ratio of women to men among centenarians.