Population Statistics

The population of Japan is approximately 126,580,000 (August 1999) of which 51.3% is female, 48.7% male. In 1920, the population was about 56 million and the projected population for 2050 is just over 100 million of which a third are expected to be aged 65 years or over, up from the present 17%. The Japanese refer to this ongoing phenomenon as the 'silver' society. The estimated number of children (aged up to 14 years) is 18.88 million (14.9% of the total population), of which boys make up 51.3%, girls 48.7%. This figure began to decline in the early 1950s after the first 'baby boom' and rose slightly during the second baby boom (1971-1974) but has been on the decline ever since. The most densely populated areas are in the Kanto region - the Tokyo metropolis and its port cities of Yokohama and Kawasaki - and the Kansai area, centered around the cities of Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto.

For more info: www.wikipedia.org