Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Tokyo, Japan metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

In 2023, the total population in Japan's capital Tokyo Prefecture amounted to approximately 14.1 million inhabitants. Tokyo's population rebounded after it declined for the first time post-WWII in 2021.

In 2023, approximately 9.4 million people within the age group of 15 to 64 years were counted in Tokyo Prefecture, an increase from about 8.94 million people recorded in 2020. Over 3.2 million inhabitants in the metropolis were aged 65 years and older.

With approximately 14 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 540,000 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.

In 2023, there were close to 12.6 million people aged 15 years and older in Tokyo Prefecture, of which about 51 percent were women. The population aged 15 years and older in the prefecture decreased in 2021 for the first time in the last decade.

In 2023, the unemployment rate of women aged 15 years and older in Tokyo Prefecture was around 2.4 percent, while that of men was about 2.6 percent. The unemployment rate of men in the prefecture declined after rising for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Osaka, Japan metro area from 1950 to 2025. United Nations population projections are also included through the year 2035.

Urban population (% of total population) in Japan was reported at 92.04 % in 2023, 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 March of 2025.

In 2023, the male population was estimated to reach approximately 60.46 million, while the female population was estimated at around 63.95 million. These figures were forecasted to shrink to about 24.1 million men and 25.64 million women by 2120.

In 2023, the male population in Tokyo Prefecture amounted to around 6.6 million. The number of men in the prefecture declined in 2021 for the first time in the past decade.

The population of Tokyo City amounted to approximately 9.57 million people in 2023. Sapporo, the largest city on the northern Japanese island Hokkaido, came in fifth with around 1.96 million inhabitants in the same year.

With approximately 9.57 million inhabitants, Tokyo was Japan's most populous city as of 2023, followed by Yokohama, which, in the same year, counted about 3.75 million inhabitants. In total, there were twelve cities with a population of over one million people in Japan.

In 1800, the population of Japan was just over 30 million, a figure which would grow by just two million in the first half of the 19th century. However, with the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the restoration of the emperor in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan would begin transforming from an isolated feudal island, to a modernized empire built on Western models. The Meiji period would see a rapid rise in the population of Japan, as industrialization and advancements in healthcare lead to a significant reduction in child mortality rates, while the creation overseas colonies would lead to a strong economic boom. However, this growth would slow beginning in 1937, as Japan entered a prolonged war with the Republic of China, which later grew into a major theater of the Second World War. The war was eventually brought to Japan's home front, with the escalation of Allied air raids on Japanese urban centers from 1944 onwards (Tokyo was the most-bombed city of the Second World War). By the war's end in 1945 and the subsequent occupation of the island by the Allied military, Japan had suffered over two and a half million military fatalities, and over one million civilian deaths.

The population figures of Japan were quick to recover, as the post-war “economic miracle” would see an unprecedented expansion of the Japanese economy, and would lead to the country becoming one of the first fully industrialized nations in East Asia. As living standards rose, the population of Japan would increase from 77 million in 1945, to over 127 million by the end of the century. However, growth would begin to slow in the late 1980s, as birth rates and migration rates fell, and Japan eventually grew to have one of the oldest populations in the world. The population would peak in 2008 at just over 128 million, but has consistently fallen each year since then, as the fertility rate of the country remains below replacement level (despite government initiatives to counter this) and the country's immigrant population remains relatively stable. The population of Japan is expected to continue its decline in the coming years, and in 2020, it is estimated that approximately 126 million people inhabit the island country.

In 2023, the female population in Tokyo Prefecture amounted to around 6.85 million. The number of women in the prefecture decreased in 2021 for the first time in years.

In 2023, the total population in Japan slightly decreased to just below 125 million people compared to the previous year, with the female population reaching around 63.9 million, as compared to 60.5 million men. The oldest population in the world  Japanese society is facing severe demographic problems such as decreasing birthrates, remaining under one million births annually recently, and a thereby aging population. The country’s average age lies at around 48 years, making its population the oldest in the world. Elderly people aged 65 years and older accounted for about 29 percent of the population in 2023. According to a forecast, the age group 65 years and older would make up approximately 39 percent of the Japanese population by 2070. Challenges with the demographic shift The rapid aging of the society poses significant economic and sociopolitical challenges to the country, as the workforce will continue to shrink while increasingly more elderly will receive long-term support. Currently, close to seven million Japanese require long-term care, leading to national benefit expenses of over 14 trillion yen annually, including in-home and community-based services.

Over the last decade, Japan’s population has aged more and more, to the point where more than a quarter of Japanese were 65 years and older in 2022. Population growth has stopped and even reversed, since it’s been in the red for several years now.

It’s getting old

With almost 30 percent of its population being elderly inhabitants, Japan is considered the “oldest” country in the world today. Japan boasts a high life expectancy, in fact, the Japanese tend to live longer than the average human worldwide. The increase of the aging population is accompanied by a decrease of the total population caused by a sinking birth rate. Japan’s fertility rate has been below the replacement rate for many decades now, mostly due to economic uncertainty and thus a decreasing number of marriages.

Are the Japanese invincible?

There is no real mystery surrounding the ripe old age of so many Japanese. Their high average age is very likely due to high healthcare standards, nutrition, and an overall high standard of living – all of which could be adopted by other industrial nations as well. But with high age comes less capacity, and Japan’s future enemy might not be an early death, but rather a struggling social network.

In 2023, the population in Kyoto amounted to around 2.54 million people, slightly less than in the previous year. Unlike other major Japanese cities like Tokyo or Osaka, Kyoto's population numbers did not seem to be affected by the war years during the 1940s. The prefecture's population listed a continuous growth from 1.29 million people in 1920 to 2.64 million inhabitants in 2010.

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.

In 2023, the total labor force in Tokyo Prefecture was composed of approximately 8.6 million people. That year, men made about 55 percent of the workforce in the prefecture.

Tokyo Prefecture continued to be a magnet for domestic migration in Japan, attracting nearly 58,500 new residents from other prefectures in 2023. By contrast, Hiroshima Prefecture showed the highest population loss due to outbound migration within the country, with a net loss of approximately 7,400 migrants. Attractiveness of Tokyo The population density in the prefecture has grown over the past two decades, surpassing 6,400 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2020. The appealing nature of Tokyo is also reflected in the age demographics of the metropolis, with most residents falling within the working-age group of 15 to 64 years. Numerous prestigious universities and large corporations make the area a popular destination for young people with aspirations. Depopulation of rural areas The migration patterns across Japan's prefectures indicate significant regional disparities. While Tokyo leads in population size with 14 million inhabitants in 2023, prefectures like Tottori struggle to retain residents, counting only about 540,000 people. This imbalance has prompted concerns about the sustainability of rural communities and has led to various initiatives aimed at revitalizing less populous areas. The Japanese government faces the complex task of addressing these demographic shifts while also navigating challenges resulting from a nationwide aging population due to prolonged life expectancy and fertility decline.