📜 A long story
Japan, 1800 → today
Japan grew from 28 million in 1800 to 124 million; a newborn can expect 48.3 more years of life than in 1865, and output per person is 29× its 1800 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 28 million people lived in Japan.
1900
44.4 million people.
1.6× the 1800 level
1950
86.4 million people.
1.9× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1920.
2023
124 million people, the latest year in this series.
1.4× the 1950 level
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1865
In 1865, a newborn in Japan could expect to live 36.4 years, on average.
1900
38.6 years.
+2.2 years since 1865
1950
59.3 years.
+21 years since 1900
Passed 40 years in 1910 (no data between 1905 and 1910, so it may have happened earlier).
Passed 50 years in 1947.
2023
84.7 years, the latest year in this series.
+25 years since 1950
Passed 60 years in 1951.
Passed 70 years in 1964.
Passed 80 years in 1996.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1800
In 1800, Japan produced about Int$1,320 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$2,120.
1.6× the 1800 level
1950
Int$3,060.
1.4× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1916.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 46% between 1941 and 1947 (Int$4,990 → Int$2,710).
2022
Int$38,300, the latest year in this series.
13× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1961.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1969.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 1988.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1868
In 1868, fossil fuels and industry in Japan emitted about 0.00032 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
0.4 t.
1,361× the 1868 level
Reached twice the 1868 level in 1871.
Reached 5 times the 1868 level, reached 10 times the 1868 level, reached 20 times the 1868 level, reached 50 times the 1868 level in 1874.
1950
1.2 t.
2.7× the 1900 level
The sharpest fall in the data: down 68% between 1940 and 1946 (2.1 t → 0.7 t).
2024
7.8 t, the latest year in this series.
6.5× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Japan had spent 0.5 years in school, on average.
1900
1.9 years.
+1.3 years since 1870
1950
6.9 years.
+5 years since 1900
Passed 2 years in 1905.
Passed 4 years in 1925.
Passed 6 years in 1945.
2015
12.6 years, the latest year in this series.
+5.7 years since 1950
Passed 8 years in 1970.
Passed 10 years in 1985.
Passed 12 years in 2005.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).