World Population PyramidsPopulation pyramids and indicators by country and year日本語

Japan vs China, Taiwan Province of China: population pyramids in 1979

1979Swap

JapanChina, Taiwan Province of China

1.5%1%0.5%0%0.5%1%1.5%0102030405060708090100MaleFemale

Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.

Japan and China, Taiwan Province of China compared

In 1979, Japan has a population of 117.1 million and China, Taiwan Province of China 17.6 million; Japan is about 6.7 times the size of China, Taiwan Province of China.

The share aged 65 and over is 8.7% in Japan and 3.6% in China, Taiwan Province of China, 5.1 points higher in Japan. The median age is 31.9 years in Japan and 22.0 years in China, Taiwan Province of China.

The total fertility rate is 1.77 in Japan and 2.64 in China, Taiwan Province of China, so only Japan is below the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 76.2 years in Japan and 71.7 years in China, Taiwan Province of China.

By 2050, the population of Japan is projected to shrink by 10.3% and that of China, Taiwan Province of China to grow by 11.1% compared with 1979.

Key figures (1979)

JapanChina, Taiwan Province of China
Population117.1 million17.6 million
Aged 0–1423.8%33.6%
Aged 15–6467.5%62.7%
Aged 65+8.7%3.6%
Median age31.9 yrs22.0 yrs
Old-age dependency12.95.8
Total fertility rate1.772.64
Life expectancy76.2 yrs71.7 yrs
Population growth+0.78%+2.06%
Net migration (per year)-57,692+15,056
GDP$4.44T (2025)—
GDP per person$36K (2025)—
Unemployment2.5% (2025)—

Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.

Compare other years