Vital Statistics Preliminary Report: August 2026
Overview
Vital statistics are compiled from survey forms prepared by municipalities on births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and stillbirths. Preliminary figures count the number of forms prepared and include Japanese and foreign nationals in Japan, Japanese nationals abroad, and events that occurred in or before the previous year. Figures for Japanese nationals in Japan are compiled in the Monthly Report (Approximate Counts) and, after revisions, become the Annual Report (Definitive Counts).
Key points
- Preliminary figures are based on the number of vital statistics survey forms prepared.
- The figures include Japanese and foreign nationals and events that occurred in or before the previous year.
- Figures for Japanese nationals in Japan are organized into a monthly report (approximate counts) and an annual report (definitive counts).
Overview
The Vital Statistics Preliminary Report for August 2026 covers preliminary vital statistics on births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and stillbirths. The statistics are compiled by collecting and aggregating vital statistics survey forms prepared on the basis of notifications and other documents for each of these events.
The results summary is presented as the “Vital Statistics Preliminary Report,” and the preliminary materials can be viewed via a link to the e-Stat website, the government’s portal for official statistics.
Details
Vital statistics survey forms are prepared by municipalities. The preliminary figures count the number of forms prepared, not the number of people or events themselves, and cover Japanese nationals in Japan, foreign nationals in Japan, and Japanese nationals abroad. They also include events that occurred in or before the previous year.
Within the scope covered by the preliminary report, figures for Japanese nationals in Japan are compiled in the Monthly Report on Vital Statistics (Approximate Counts). After minor revisions, this monthly report becomes the Annual Report on Vital Statistics (Definitive Counts). The preliminary report, approximate counts, and definitive counts are described as materials with different coverage and stages of aggregation.