PopulationPyramids
UN World Population Prospects Data Visualized

China vs Japan: Population Comparison 2026

China has 1,290,486,357 more people than Japan (11.5× as many): 1.41 billion vs 122.4 million in 2026. Median age is 40.6 in China and 50.2 in Japan; fertility is 1.03 vs 1.23 children per woman.

China

2026
0
people
Median age
40.6
Fertility (TFR)
1.03
Working age (15–64)
70.1%
Trend
Declining (-0.22%)

Japan

2026
0
people
Median age
50.2
Fertility (TFR)
1.23
Working age (15–64)
58.8%
Trend
Declining (-0.55%)

Population pyramids, 2026

Total Population

China

1412.9M

vs

Japan

122.4M

Youth (0-14)

China

14.8%

vs

Japan

11.0%

Elderly (65+)

China

15.1%

vs

Japan

30.2%

Where the two pyramids differ

The pyramids are overlaid so you can read the difference by age and sex: the longer bar in each band marks the country with more people of that age.

📊 Understanding the Population Difference Chart

This visualization shows where and by how much the populations differ between China and Japan for each age group, split by gender:

Left Side (Males)

Blue = China has more males

Green = Japan has more males

Right Side (Females)

Pink = China has more females

Orange = Japan has more females

💡 How to Read: Each age group shows up to 2 bars - one on the left (male difference) and one on the right (female difference). The bar's color tells you which country has more people, and the bar's length shows by how much. For example, if you see a green bar on the left, it means Japan has more males in that age group.

Notable Differences (>20% variance):

Ages 0-4: China has 1070.9% more people
Men: 21.7M more in China • Women: 19.6M more in China
China: 23.6M men, 21.4M women • Japan: 2.0M men, 1.9M women
Population Ratio
45.1M
3.8M
Ages 5-9: China has 1538.8% more people
Men: 36.8M more in China • Women: 32.4M more in China
China: 39.1M men, 34.6M women • Japan: 2.3M men, 2.2M women
Population Ratio
73.6M
4.5M
Ages 10-14: China has 1645.4% more people
Men: 45.8M more in China • Women: 39.4M more in China
China: 48.5M men, 42.0M women • Japan: 2.7M men, 2.5M women
Population Ratio
90.5M
5.2M
Ages 15-19: China has 1422.5% more people
Men: 43.4M more in China • Women: 36.8M more in China
China: 46.3M men, 39.6M women • Japan: 2.9M men, 2.7M women
Population Ratio
85.9M
5.6M
Ages 20-24: China has 1177.1% more people
Men: 39.3M more in China • Women: 33.1M more in China
China: 42.4M men, 36.1M women • Japan: 3.1M men, 3.0M women
Population Ratio
78.6M
6.2M
Ages 25-29: China has 1227.1% more people
Men: 40.6M more in China • Women: 34.8M more in China
China: 43.8M men, 37.8M women • Japan: 3.1M men, 3.0M women
Population Ratio
81.5M
6.1M
Ages 30-34: China has 1443.5% more people
Men: 46.1M more in China • Women: 40.6M more in China
China: 49.2M men, 43.5M women • Japan: 3.1M men, 2.9M women
Population Ratio
92.7M
6.0M
Ages 35-39: China has 1830.8% more people
Men: 60.5M more in China • Women: 55.2M more in China
China: 63.7M men, 58.3M women • Japan: 3.2M men, 3.1M women
Population Ratio
122.0M
6.3M
Ages 40-44: China has 1379.6% more people
Men: 50.7M more in China • Women: 47.6M more in China
China: 54.3M men, 51.2M women • Japan: 3.6M men, 3.5M women
Population Ratio
105.5M
7.1M
Ages 45-49: China has 1037.4% more people
Men: 43.1M more in China • Women: 41.3M more in China
China: 47.2M men, 45.3M women • Japan: 4.1M men, 4.0M women
Population Ratio
92.5M
8.1M
Ages 50-54: China has 1014.5% more people
Men: 50.2M more in China • Women: 49.2M more in China
China: 55.1M men, 54.1M women • Japan: 4.9M men, 4.9M women
Population Ratio
109.2M
9.8M
Ages 55-59: China has 1229.8% more people
Men: 54.5M more in China • Women: 55.0M more in China
China: 59.0M men, 59.4M women • Japan: 4.5M men, 4.4M women
Population Ratio
118.4M
8.9M
Ages 60-64: China has 1245.4% more people
Men: 47.0M more in China • Women: 49.0M more in China
China: 50.9M men, 52.8M women • Japan: 3.9M men, 3.8M women
Population Ratio
103.7M
7.7M
Ages 65-69: China has 811.4% more people
Men: 27.8M more in China • Women: 30.8M more in China
China: 31.4M men, 34.4M women • Japan: 3.6M men, 3.6M women
Population Ratio
65.8M
7.2M
Ages 70-74: China has 794.6% more people
Men: 27.1M more in China • Women: 32.5M more in China
China: 30.7M men, 36.4M women • Japan: 3.6M men, 3.9M women
Population Ratio
67.1M
7.5M
Ages 75-79: China has 381.1% more people
Men: 14.7M more in China • Women: 18.9M more in China
China: 18.7M men, 23.7M women • Japan: 4.0M men, 4.8M women
Population Ratio
42.4M
8.8M
Ages 80-84: China has 270.2% more people
Men: 6.8M more in China • Women: 9.5M more in China
China: 9.3M men, 13.0M women • Japan: 2.6M men, 3.5M women
Population Ratio
22.3M
6.0M
Ages 85-89: China has 162.7% more people
Men: 2.6M more in China • Women: 4.4M more in China
China: 4.2M men, 7.1M women • Japan: 1.6M men, 2.7M women
Population Ratio
11.3M
4.3M
Ages 90-94: China has 80.6% more people
Men: 538K more in China • Women: 1.3M more in China
China: 1.2M men, 2.9M women • Japan: 683K men, 1.6M women
Population Ratio
4.1M
2.3M
Ages 100+: Japan has 58.2% more people
Men: 14K more in Japan • Women: 59K more in Japan
China: 4K men, 48K women • Japan: 18K men, 108K women
Population Ratio
53K
126K

Demographic comparison, 2026

IndicatorChinaJapanDifference
Population (2026)1,412,914,088122,427,731China has 1.29 billion more (11.5×)
Change 2025–2026-0.2% (Declining)-0.5% (Declining)
Median age (2026)40.650.2Japan older by 9.5 yrs
Total fertility rate1.03 — 1.07 below replacement1.23 — 0.87 below replacement
Fertility rate, 2030 (UN projection)1.061.26
Birth rate (per 1,000)6.16.1
Population 2050 (UN projection)1.26 billion (-10.8%)105.1 million (-14.1%)
Peak populationPeaks 2021Peaks 2009

Differences by age group, 2026

AgeChina (M / F)Japan (M / F)Difference
0-423622K / 21432K1968K / 1879KChina has 1070.9% more people aged 0-4
5-939076K / 34560K2301K / 2192KChina has 1538.8% more people aged 5-9
10-1448504K / 41971K2663K / 2521KChina has 1645.4% more people aged 10-14
15-1946340K / 39578K2897K / 2746KChina has 1422.5% more people aged 15-19
20-2442415K / 36142K3148K / 3004KChina has 1177.1% more people aged 20-24
25-2943779K / 37771K3134K / 3011KChina has 1227.1% more people aged 25-29
30-3449168K / 43509K3062K / 2942KChina has 1443.5% more people aged 30-34
35-3963689K / 58292K3217K / 3101KChina has 1830.8% more people aged 35-39
40-4454302K / 51171K3605K / 3524KChina has 1379.6% more people aged 40-44
45-4947164K / 45301K4098K / 4031KChina has 1037.4% more people aged 45-49
50-5455143K / 54078K4934K / 4866KChina has 1014.5% more people aged 50-54
55-5959034K / 59415K4495K / 4412KChina has 1229.8% more people aged 55-59
60-6450868K / 52813K3878K / 3829KChina has 1245.4% more people aged 60-64
65-6931394K / 34434K3575K / 3647KChina has 811.4% more people aged 65-69
70-7430704K / 36375K3605K / 3893KChina has 794.6% more people aged 70-74
75-7918688K / 23697K4025K / 4786KChina has 381.1% more people aged 75-79
80-849335K / 13004K2574K / 3459KChina has 270.2% more people aged 80-84
85-894220K / 7092K1627K / 2678KChina has 162.7% more people aged 85-89
90-941221K / 2877K683K / 1586KChina has 80.6% more people aged 90-94
95-99138K / 546K153K / 551KJapan has 2.8% more people aged 95-99
100+4K / 48K18K / 108KJapan has 139.0% more people aged 100+

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has more people, China or Japan?

China has more: 1.41 billion vs 122.4 million in 2026 — 11.5× as many, 1.29 billion more people.

Which country is older?

Japan, with a median age of 50.2 vs 40.6 in China (2026).

Which has higher fertility?

Japan, at 1.23 children per woman vs 1.03 in China. Replacement is 2.1, so both are below it.

How will China and Japan compare in 2050?

By 2050 the UN projects China at 1.26 billion (-10.8% from 2026) and Japan at 105.1 million (-14.1%).

Are China and Japan growing or shrinking?

China is declining (-0.2% in 2026); Japan is declining (-0.5%).

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China population pyramid→Japan population pyramid→

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