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.

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 October of 2025.

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;

The statistic shows the development of the urban and rural population in Japan from 2008 to 2017. In 2017, about *** million people lived in urban areas of Japan, compared to ****** million people in rural areas.

Urban population growth (annual %) in Japan was reported at --0.33683 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Urban population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September 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;

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.

Historical dataset showing Japan urban population by year from 1960 to 2023.

Japan: Percent urban population: The latest value from 2024 is 92.13 percent, an increase from 92.04 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 61.70 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Japan from 1960 to 2024 is 79.81 percent. The minimum value, 63.27 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 92.13 percent was recorded in 2024.

Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data was reported at 57.810 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 58.249 % for 2016. Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: Aged 15-64 data is updated yearly, averaging 67.272 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 69.262 % in 1969 and a record low of 57.810 % in 2017. Japan JP: Population: as % of Total: Female: 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. Female population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total female 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; Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

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;

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.

Urban population in Japan was reported at 114223468 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Urban population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Japan was reported at 81118240 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

The population of Tokyo City amounted to approximately **** million people in 2023. Sapporo, the largest city on the northern Japanese island Hokkaido, came in fifth with around **** million inhabitants in the same year.

Japan JP: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data was reported at 81,604,072.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 81,435,633.000 Person for 2016. Japan JP: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 70,629,406.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81,604,072.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 37,518,937.000 Person in 1960. Japan JP: Population in Urban Agglomerations of More Than 1 Million 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. Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;

Access to electricity, urban (% of urban population) in Japan was reported at 100 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Access to electricity, urban - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Japan JP: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 32.224 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 32.138 % for 2016. Japan JP: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 32.079 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 34.533 % in 2000 and a record low of 28.449 % in 1961. Japan JP: Population in Largest City: as % of 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.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;

Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in Japan was reported at 32.49 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Population in the largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.