In the past decade, Japan’s degree of urbanization has leveled off at around 92.04 percent. This means that less than 10 percent of Japan’s population of 126 million inhabitants do not live in an urban setting. Japan is well above the degree of urbanization worldwide, which is 55 percent. Japan is also known for its high population density: In 2017, it amounted to an eye-watering 347.78 inhabitants per square kilometer - however, it is not even among the top twenty countries with the highest population density worldwide. That ranking is lead by Monaco, followed by China, and Singapore. Japan’s aging population The main demographic challenge that Japan currently faces is an aging population, as the number of inhabitants over 65 years old is an increasing percentage of the population. As of 2018, Japan is the country with the largest percentage of total population over 65 years, and life expectancy at birth there is about 84 years. Simultaneously, the birth rate in Japan is declining, resulting in negative population growth in recent years. One method Japan is using to address these demographic shifts is by investing in automated work processes; it's one of the top countries interested in collaborative robots.

Japan urban population for 2023 was 114,608,860, a 0.39% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Japan urban population for 2022 was <strong>115,058,684</strong>, a <strong>0.35% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Japan urban population for 2021 was <strong>115,459,909</strong>, a <strong>0.37% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Japan urban population for 2020 was <strong>115,884,871</strong>, a <strong>0.2% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

Until 2007, the share of the global population living in urban areas was always smaller than the rural population, but in 2021, the world's level of urbanization has risen to around 56 percent, and by 2050, it is estimated that two thirds of the world will live in urban areas. Urbanization on such a large scale is a relatively new phenomenon, and has a strong correlation with the industrial maturity of a society. For most of pre-industrial times, fewer than five percent of the total population lived in urban centers, which were generally trading and administrative centers. The main reason for this was the agricultural demands of the time, where subsistence farming was the primary method of food production for the general population. Compared to Japan and China, a larger share of Western Europe lived in urban centers in the 16th century, due to higher levels of trade along the Mediterranean and between northern states, but around 94 percent of the population still lived in a rural setting. Effect of industrialization With the onset of the first industrial revolution in the 19th century, the mechanization of agriculture and development of manufacturing industries saw a shift in labor demands in Western Europe. People began migrating to cities on a large scale, and migration to the U.S. also increased due to industrialization in the northeastern states. Urban populations then became more prosperous, although mortality rates were initially higher due to the more rapid spread of disease and poor sanitation infrastructure. This mortality also disproportionately affected children and more recent arrivals. Global trends Waves of industrialization in Europe saw further urbanization throughout the 1800s, and roughly a third of the population had urbanized by the end of the 19th century. Globally, it would take until the 1960s before one third of the population had urbanized, and it was not until the late 1990s where China's urbanization rate had reached this level. However, China's urbanization rate has grown rapidly since the 1980s, and is now around 80 percent of the EU's level, whereas it was closer to 50 percent just two decades previously. Japan's urbanization rate was comparable to Europe's for most of the 20th century, but increased further throughout the 2010s; today it has one of the highest rates among more developed nations, although this has presented some challenges for Japanese society.

Japan JP: Urban Population Growth data was reported at 0.248 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.344 % for 2016. Japan JP: Urban Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 0.900 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.082 % in 1961 and a record low of 0.248 % in 2017. Japan JP: Urban Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2014 Revision.; Weighted average;

Urban population (% of total population) in Japan was reported at 92.13 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Urban population (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Japan JP: Urban Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 94.316 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 93.928 % for 2016. Japan JP: Urban Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 77.150 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 94.316 % in 2017 and a record low of 63.272 % in 1960. Japan JP: Urban Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: 2014 Revision.; Weighted average;

Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 62.426 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 62.855 % for 2016. Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 68.350 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 71.317 % in 1992 and a record low of 62.426 % in 2017. Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Male: Aged 15-64 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Male population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total male population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

In the year 1800, approximately five percent of the world's population lived in urban areas of 10,000 people or more. At this time, the world's population was just under one billion people, and the industrial revolution was in its early stages in Western Europe and North America. As industrialization spread across the world, urbanization rates rose accordingly. In 2021, the global urbanization rate was approximately 56 percent.

Contains data from the World Bank's data portal. There is also a consolidated country dataset on HDX.

Cities can be tremendously efficient. It is easier to provide water and sanitation to people living closer together, while access to health, education, and other social and cultural services is also much more readily available. However, as cities grow, the cost of meeting basic needs increases, as does the strain on the environment and natural resources. Data on urbanization, traffic and congestion, and air pollution are from the United Nations Population Division, World Health Organization, International Road Federation, World Resources Institute, and other sources.

Japan JP: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 8.465 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.543 % for 2016. Japan JP: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 22.849 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36.728 % in 1960 and a record low of 8.465 % in 2017. Japan JP: Rural Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Hamamatsu was the largest major city in Japan based on city area in 2024, with a size of close to **** thousand square kilometers. It was followed by Shizuoka, with a size of more than **** square kilometers. Overconcentration in Tokyo Economic, political, and financial activity in Japan is heavily concentrated in Tokyo. With around **** million inhabitants, the metropolitan area of Tokyo is the largest urban conglomeration in the world. Most of Japan’s largest companies have their headquarters in Tokyo, and the region attracts many young people who move there to study or work. A breakdown of the net migration flow in Japan showed that the prefectures of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, all part of the Tokyo metropolitan area, attract the largest number of people. In contrast, the majority of prefectures, especially those located in rural parts of the country, lose a substantial part of their population every year. Demographic trend in rural regions The overconcentration of economic activity in Tokyo has an impact on the demographic situation in rural parts of the country. Japan’s population is shrinking and aging, and rural regions are particularly affected by this. Many young people leave their rural hometowns to seek better opportunities in urban parts of Japan, leaving behind an aging population. As a result, many rural communities in Japan struggle with depopulation and a notable share of municipalities are even threatened with disappearance in the coming decades.

With approximately ** million inhabitants, Tokyo Prefecture was the largest prefecture based on population size in Japan as of 2023. The smallest prefecture in this regard was Tottori Prefecture, which in the same year counted about ******* residents. Rural depopulation Like many industrial economies, Japan is facing the problem of depopulating rural areas. While the birth rate continues to decline, many young people decide to migrate from small towns and villages to large cities like Tokyo or Osaka for higher education and employment. The population of Tokyo Prefecture has shown substantial growth over the past decades and consists largely of working age citizens. Smaller communities are trying to counteract the depopulation process with initiatives meant to invite younger workers and tourists back. Migration to Japan Japan is often described as a very homogenous society, with a low share of foreign residents. Despite the declining birthrate and many businesses experiencing a labor shortage, companies have been hesitant to employ foreign workers, in part due to the strict immigration laws. The Japanese Government has tried to ease immigration restrictions and encourage foreigners to work in Japan. The largest share of foreign workers in Japan, however, is residing in the county with a permanent residence or as the family member of a Japanese national.

Japan JP: Rural Population Growth data was reported at -1.082 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of -1.001 % for 2016. Japan JP: Rural Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging -1.013 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.722 % in 1977 and a record low of -9.105 % in 2005. Japan JP: Rural Population Growth data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

This raster layer contains urban land use and land cover data for Tokyo, Japan in 1990. Categories of urban land use represented in these data include: urban, nonurban, water and other. Urban land cover, or urban extent, is typically measured by the total built-up area (or impervious surface) of cities, sometimes including the open spaces captured by their built-up areas and the open spaces on the urban fringe affected by urban development. Urban land is occupied by urban uses that include all land in residential, commercial, industrial, and office use; land used for transport, parks, and public facilities; protected land, and vacant land. Land in urban use does not include cultivated lands, pasture lands, forests, farms and villages, intercity roads, and nature areas. These data are part of the Atlas of Urban Expansion.

In 2020, forest land covered about 66.2 percent of the land in Japan. While cultivated land accounted for around 11.6 percent, only just over three percent of the land was used for housing. Due to its mountainous geography, only a small part of Japan's 37.8 million hectares of land is habitable.

In 2023, approximately 57.4 hectares of Tokyo metropolis in Japan were building land. This represents an increase of over 27 hectares since 1955, pointing towards a process of increasing urbanization. At the same time, areas for agricultural activities and mountain forests decreased considerably.

As of July 2020, 542 municipalities in Japan had plans for location optimization, representing roughly one-third of all municipalities. While 203 were preparing plans for site optimization, 339 had already announced concrete plans. In the light of the population decline in Japan, location optimization aims to achieve urban restructuring, creating compact cities connected to public transportation networks that are sustainable and ensure access to essential services.

Zushi City(Zushi Shi)'s Area under urbanization promotion is 832[ha] which is the 401st highest in Japan (by City). It also ranks 18th in Kanagawa Prefecture, with 0.88% share of the entire Kanagawa. Transition Graphs and Comparison chart between Zushi City and Tamano City(Okayama) and Uki City(Kumamoto)(Closest City in Population) are available. Various data can be downloaded and output in csv format for use in EXCEL free of charge.

Japan JP: Urban Population data was reported at 116,053,379.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 116,145,370.000 Person for 2016. Japan JP: Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 94,790,733.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 116,416,235.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 58,526,962.000 Person in 1960. Japan JP: Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;

This point layer displays the Central Business District (CBD) of Akashi-shi, Japan as a point corresponding to the location of its city hall. For the compactness metrics, the proximity index measures the relative closeness of all locations in the city to its center. To calculate the proximity index, the Equal Area Circle was defined as a circle with an area equal to that of the urban footprint centered at the city's city hall within the CBD. This data is part of the Atlas of Urban Expansion.