life expectancy in Japan: latest WHO data and trend
life expectancy in Japan: latest value 84.5 years (2021). previous year: 84.7 years (2020). change since the first year in the series: 3.6%.
How this page differs from the ranking
This country detail page is not a leaderboard. Its job is to understand life expectancy in Japan as a historical series: latest year, previous point, value range, set median, recent average and the country's other indicators. For broad comparison, use the ranking. For a careful read, stay on this page and check whether the series is long, whether the latest year is recent and how the other indicators help interpret the primary number.
Country context reading
Read Japan within the Western Pacific region and beside the country's other indicators. The primary page here is life expectancy, but the context includes: life expectancy 84.5 years in 2021; healthy life expectancy 73.4 years in 2021; maternal mortality 3.1 in 2023; under-five mortality 2.4 in 2023; suicide mortality rate 14.7 in 2021; road traffic death rate 2.7 in 2021; tuberculosis incidence 9.8 in 2024; UHC service coverage 86 in 2023. This cross-reading reduces shallow comparisons and shows that one indicator alone does not summarize the health system.
How to read this indicator
Life expectancy at birth summarizes age-specific mortality into one number. It estimates how many years a newborn would live if the mortality patterns observed in the period stayed the same. It is useful for comparing population trajectories, but it does not describe an individual future, quality of life, regional access to services or inequalities inside the country.
Position in the set
Japan ranks 1 of 10 countries for life expectancy, using the latest annual figure available. 100% top-side percentile in the set.
Historical range
lowest reading: 81.5 years (2000). highest reading: 84.7 years (2020). recent average (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021): 84.4 years.
Global comparison
77 years set median; latest is 7.5 years above.
Recent data fingerprint
2000: 81.5 years; 2001: 81.8 years; 2002: 82.1 years; 2003: 82.1 years; 2004: 82.4 years; 2005: 82.2 years; 2006: 82.6 years; 2007: 82.8 years; 2008: 82.8 years; 2009: 83.2 years; 2010: 83.1 years; 2011: 82.8 years; 2012: 83.3 years; 2013: 83.6 years; 2014: 83.8 years; 2015: 84 years; 2016: 84.2 years; 2017: 84.3 years; 2018: 84.4 years; 2019: 84.5 years; 2020: 84.7 years; 2021: 84.5 years.
Country indicator snapshot
- healthy life expectancy: 73.4 years (2021)
- maternal mortality: 3.1 (2023)
- under-five mortality: 2.4 (2023)
- suicide mortality rate: 14.7 (2021)
- road traffic death rate: 2.7 (2021)
- tuberculosis incidence: 9.8 (2024)
- UHC service coverage: 86 (2023)
Country multi-indicator fingerprint
life expectancy: 2016=84.2 years, 2017=84.3 years, 2018=84.4 years, 2019=84.5 years, 2020=84.7 years, 2021=84.5 years | healthy life expectancy: 2016=73.2 years, 2017=73.4 years, 2018=73.5 years, 2019=73.6 years, 2020=73.6 years, 2021=73.4 years | maternal mortality: 2018=4.7, 2019=4.6, 2020=4.3, 2021=4.1, 2022=5.3, 2023=3.1 | under-five mortality: 2018=2.5, 2019=2.5, 2020=2.4, 2021=2.4, 2022=2.4, 2023=2.4 | suicide mortality rate: 2016=14.1, 2017=13.8, 2018=13.7, 2019=13.4, 2020=14.4, 2021=14.7 | road traffic death rate: 2021=2.7 | tuberculosis incidence: 2019=14, 2020=12, 2021=11, 2022=9.9, 2023=9.8, 2024=9.8 | UHC service coverage: 2018=84, 2019=84, 2020=84, 2021=85, 2022=85, 2023=86.
Coverage
22 valid observations from 2000 to 2021. change since the first year in the series: 3.6%. previous year change: -0.2%.
Recent historical series
| Year | Value |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 84.5 years |
| 2020 | 84.7 years |
| 2019 | 84.5 years |
| 2018 | 84.4 years |
| 2017 | 84.3 years |
| 2016 | 84.2 years |
| 2015 | 84 years |
| 2014 | 83.8 years |
| 2013 | 83.6 years |
| 2012 | 83.3 years |
| 2011 | 82.8 years |
| 2010 | 83.1 years |
This page answers a precise search intent with data, year and context: what the life expectancy indicator is for Japan and how the series changed over time. Use the table to compare recent readings with earlier years, then open the rankings to see where the country sits in the global set.
More indicators for this country
- healthy life expectancy
- maternal mortality
- under-five mortality
- suicide mortality rate
- road traffic death rate
- tuberculosis incidence
- UHC service coverage
Global health rankings
- healthy life expectancy by country
- maternal mortality by country
- under-five mortality by country
- suicide mortality rate by country
- road traffic death rate by country
- tuberculosis incidence by country
- UHC service coverage by country
Source and limits
Source: WHO Global Health Observatory OData API, indicator Life expectancy at birth (WHOSIS_000001), snapshot 2026-07-12. This page is educational and does not replace a health professional. The data are population indicators. They do not assess individuals, recommend personal care or replace local official statistics.
Last updated: · Methodology and sources