Deaths in 2025 decline for the first time in 5 years | Reading cause-of-death rankings in vital statistics

In 2026, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released the annual total of the Vital Statistics Monthly Report for Reiwa 7 (2025) (preliminary figures). These are basic statistics summarizing the number of people who died in Japan over one year and the breakdown of causes. This time, one milestone was that the number of deaths fell below the previous year for the first time in 5 years.

1,589,489 deaths, with a gap of 910,000 compared with births

The number of deaths in 2025 was 1,589,489, down 15,889 from 1,605,378 the previous year. Deaths had continued to trend upward since exceeding 1 million in Heisei 15 (2003), but 2025 marked the first decline in 5 years. The death rate per 1,000 population was 13.3, the same as the previous year.

However, the age structure of those who die is becoming increasingly older. Deaths among people aged 75 and over exceeded 70% of the total in 2012, and since 2024 they have accounted for more than 80%. The number of births in the same year was 671,236, and the natural decrease, calculated by subtracting births from deaths, was 918,253. The natural decrease has now continued for 19 consecutive years.

Cause-of-death ranking for 2025 (preliminary figures)
1st Malignant neoplasms (tumors) 378,812 people (23.8%)
2nd Heart disease (excluding hypertensive heart disease) 220,447 people (13.9%)
3rd Senility 214,711 people (13.5%)
4th Cerebrovascular disease 100,355 people (6.3%)
5th Pneumonia 84,013 people (5.3%)
※Figures in parentheses indicate the share of all deaths

A long-term trend toward a greater share of senility

Malignant neoplasms have consistently ranked first as a cause of death since Showa 56 (1981). Heart disease replaced cerebrovascular disease as the second leading cause in Showa 60 (1985).

Over the long term, the largest change has been in senility. After the war, it continued to decline, but from Heisei 13 (2001) onward it turned upward, surpassing cerebrovascular disease in Heisei 30 (2018) to become the third leading cause. In 2025, the death rate from senility (per 100,000 population) was 179.9, narrowing the gap with second-ranked heart disease (184.7). Among women alone, senility ranked second as a cause of death, with 152,976 deaths.

Meanwhile, cerebrovascular disease has continued to decline since peaking in Showa 45 (1970), and its share in 2025 was 6.3%. From sixth place onward came aspiration pneumonia (4.1%), accidents (2.8%), renal failure (1.8%), and Alzheimer’s disease (1.6%).

It is also noted that the death rates in the preliminary figures will be recalculated using the population from the Reiwa 7 National Census to be released later, so the values may change in the final figures. The relationship between life expectancy and health is also discussed in our article on the gap between average life expectancy and healthy life expectancy as well.

Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Overview of the Annual Total of the Vital Statistics Monthly Report for Reiwa 7 (2025) (Preliminary Figures)”

※This article introduces statistics and system information published by public institutions and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any specific disease. If you have health concerns, please consult a medical institution.

—The Value Village Editorial Team