Population density in Japan
Japan: Population density was 341.55 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
341.55 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
34th
of 215 countries
All-time high
351.36 people per sq. km of land area
in 2010
All-time low
256.49 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in Japan, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
Japan recorded 341.55 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Japan peaked at 351.36 people per sq. km of land area in 2010 and was at its lowest, 256.49 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
Japan ranks 34th of 215 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in Japan, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 256.49 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 258.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 261.52 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 264.26 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 267.12 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1966 | 269.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 272.37 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1968 | 275.46 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 278.75 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1970 | 281.98 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 288.24 people per sq. km of land area | +2.2% |
| 1972 | 292.38 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 296.53 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 300.5 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 304.43 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 307.71 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 310.79 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 313.63 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 316.29 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 318.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 321.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 323.54 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 325.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 329.26 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 331.42 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1986 | 333.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 334.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 336.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 337.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 338.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 340 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 341.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 342.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 343.33 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 344.14 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 345.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 345.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 346.78 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 347.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 347.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 348.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 349.64 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 350.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 350.51 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 350.54 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 350.76 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 351.17 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 351.34 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 351.3 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 351.36 people per sq. km of land area | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 350.71 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 350.15 people per sq. km of land area | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 349.64 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 349.18 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 348.81 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 348.63 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 348.35 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 347.9 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 347.42 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 346.39 people per sq. km of land area | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 344.81 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 343.28 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 341.55 people per sq. km of land area | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 267.16 people per sq. km of land area | 256.49 people per sq. km of land area | 278.75 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 301.25 people per sq. km of land area | 281.98 people per sq. km of land area | 316.29 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 329.17 people per sq. km of land area | 318.88 people per sq. km of land area | 337.55 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 343.48 people per sq. km of land area | 338.67 people per sq. km of land area | 347.41 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 350.25 people per sq. km of land area | 347.99 people per sq. km of land area | 351.34 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 349.21 people per sq. km of land area | 347.42 people per sq. km of land area | 351.36 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 344.01 people per sq. km of land area | 341.55 people per sq. km of land area | 346.39 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 31 Sri Lanka 356.24 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 32 Curacao 348.32 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 33 Grenada 344.36 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 35 Tuvalu 327.2 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 36 Pakistan 321.07 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 37 Vietnam 320.18 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Japan
- Population in the largest city 32.5% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 11.45 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.6561 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 80.94 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual -0.222 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 222.95 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 37.04 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 113.6 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 1,808 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Japan?
- Population density in Japan was 341.55 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 351.36 people per sq. km of land area in 2010.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 256.49 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Japan rank for population density?
- Japan ranks 34th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.