Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare


Introduction

Vital Statistics Occurring in Japan 2007 summarizes all of the vital statistics for events occurring in Japan, and is the second statistical report of this kind after 2002.

In Vital Statistics currently published in Japan, the primary statistics which are tallied are for events occurring in Japan concerning persons who possess Japanese nationality. Events concerning persons who do not possess Japanese nationality (foreigners) which occur in Japan, as well as those concerning persons who possess Japanese nationality which occur abroad are not tallied, in detail.

In this Special Report of Vital Statistics, events regarding foreigners in Japan are tallied in accordance with the conventional Vital Statistics of Japanese in Japan.

Vital Statistics in Japan was established as a modern statistical survey in 1899. Since that time, it has been maintained for over 100 years, as one of the major sources of statistics in Japan. As in many other countries, Vital Statistics is based on the registration of vital statistics events, that is, varied notifications specified in the Family Registration Law in Japan. Foreigners are also obliged to notify in the Family Registration Law, and are covered by the Vital Statistics. However, due to the small proportion of foreigners in Japan and the low integrity of the comprehension of occurring events, vital statistics events occurring in Japan concerning persons who possess Japanese nationality are mainly tallied in the report of Vital Statistics.

On the other hand, the number of foreign residents in Japan has increased significantly since 1990s, in particular, and the proportion of the total population is currently in excess of one percent. According to the Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System by the United Nations, in principle, all events occurring in the country concerned shall be the subject of tallying. Internationally, many countries adopt the total number of occurrences in their countries, as a whole. Furthermore, since the occurrence status of vital statistics events by foreigners is somewhat different from that by Japanese, and for other reasons, the summarizing of Vital Statistics in the whole country including foreigners has been started.

Meanwhile, although Vital Statistics is based on notifications specified in the Family Registration Law, etc, and foreigners in Japan are obliged to notify as stated above, the status of notification is unclear. Thus, it is considered that there is a discrepancy between the actual situation and the number of notifications.

The reference below refers to the coverage for this Special Report of Vital Statistics and report of Vital Statistics. Although Japanese in foreign countries are obliged to notify, the status of notification is unclear. In addition, since the arrival of notification is delayed, many notifications are handled as those for events which occurred in or prior to the preceding year.

[Reference] Remarks on coverage (number of objects 2006)
  Japanese in Japan Foreigner in Japan Japanese in foreign
countries
Natality 1) Japanese parents
One parent is Japanese
(Child is Japanese)
Foreigners parents

(Child is foreigner)
Japanese parents
One parent is Japanese

Number of objects
(persons)

1,092,674 12,188 14,745
General mortality Japanese Foreigner Japanese

Number of objects
(persons)

1,084,450 5,969 1,501
Foetal mortality 2) Japanese parents
One parent is Japanese
Foreigners parents  

Number of objects
(fetuses)

30,911 640
Marriages Japanese couple
One of couple is
Japanese
Foreigners couple Japanese couple
One of couple is
Japanese

Number of objects
(couples)

730,971 4,161 12,786
Divorces Japanese couple
One of couple is
Japanese
Foreigners couple Japanese couple
One of couple is
Japanese

Number of objects
(couples)

257,475 1,303 1,677

Notes:

1) Coverage of natality was revised to the above due to the revision of Nationality Law in 1985.
On or before 1984, in case that mother was Japanese and father was foreigner, their child was treated as a foreigner.

2) Coverage of foetal mortality on or before 1994 was determined according to the nationality of mother.

  : This Specified Report of Vital Statistics   : Report of Vital Statistics

(Coverage of foreigners in Japan and Japanese in
foreign countries are specified otherwise.)

Symbols used in tables

- No data

・ Category not applicable

0.0 Minor proportion less than 0.05


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