Japan vs Malaysia: Population in the largest city

Japan
32.5%
in 2025
Malaysia
32.3%
in 2025
Japan rank
66th
Malaysia rank
68th

Population in the largest city over time

  • Japan
  • Malaysia
0102030196019922025

How they compare

Japan currently reports 32.5% against 32.3% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.2%.

Across all 66 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.

Japan ranks 66th and Malaysia ranks 68th of 153 countries.

Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan Malaysia Difference Ahead
1960s 30.0% 15.8% 14.3% Japan
1970s 31.4% 18.1% 13.4% Japan
1980s 32.8% 22.9% 9.9% Japan
1990s 34.3% 26.1% 8.2% Japan
2000s 32.9% 28.7% 4.3% Japan
2010s 32.0% 29.8% 2.2% Japan
2020s 32.4% 32.0% 0.4% Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population in the largest city, Japan or Malaysia?
Japan, at 32.5% against 32.3% in Malaysia as of 2025.
What is the difference in population in the largest city between Japan and Malaysia?
0.2%, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Malaysia?
66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
How do Japan and Malaysia rank globally for population in the largest city?
Japan ranks 66th and Malaysia ranks 68th of 153 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs Malaysia: Population in the largest city. Statizoid, drawing on World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://urban.statizoid.com/compare/population-in-the-largest-city-percent-of-urban-population/japan/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Population in the largest city (% of urban population)
Unit
% of urban population
Source
World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 12,906 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.