Share of women who are married or in a union in Japan
Japan: Share of women who are married or in a union was 0.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of women who are married or in a union in Japan, 1970–2020
Source: United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Japan recorded 0.3% for share of women who are married or in a union in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.2% on the previous year and down 47.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are married or in a union in Japan peaked at 1.8% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2020.
Japan ranks 211th of 221 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 51 years of available data.
Share of women who are married or in a union in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.8% | — |
| 1971 | 1.8% | -1.6% |
| 1972 | 1.8% | -1.7% |
| 1973 | 1.7% | -1.7% |
| 1974 | 1.7% | -1.7% |
| 1975 | 1.7% | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 1.7% | -1.8% |
| 1977 | 1.6% | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 1.6% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 1.6% | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 1.5% | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 1.5% | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 1.4% | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 1.4% | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 1.4% | -2.2% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 1.3% | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 1.2% | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | -2.5% |
| 1993 | 1.1% | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | -2.8% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -2.8% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -5.2% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | -5.5% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 0.5% | -6.2% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -6.6% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -7.6% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -8.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 209 Ireland 0.4% compare
- 210 Switzerland 0.4% compare
- 212 Slovenia 0.3% compare
- 213 Iceland 0.3% compare
- 214 Faroe Islands 0.2% compare
- 214 South Korea 0.2% compare
- 214 Spain 0.2% compare
More gender data for Japan
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 12,429 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -1.96 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 367,041 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 384,885 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 368,886 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 386,553 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 378,555 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 396,805 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 393,277 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 412,389 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are married or in a union in Japan?
- Share of women who are married or in a union in Japan was 0.3% in 2020, according to United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 1970.
- What is the lowest share of women who are married or in a union recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2020.
- How does Japan rank for share of women who are married or in a union?
- Japan ranks 211th out of 221 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of women who are married or in a union rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are married or in a union. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of women aged 15-19 sharing a household with their partner, whether married, cohabiting, in consensual partnerships, or in other non-marital unions.