Population in the largest city in Japan
Japan: Population in the largest city was 32.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in the largest city in Japan, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of urban population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in the largest city in Japan stood at 32.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Japan peaked at 34.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 28.3%, in 1960.
That places Japan 66th out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Japan, year by year
| Year | % of urban population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 28.3% | — |
| 1961 | 28.7% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 29.1% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 29.6% | +1.5% |
| 1964 | 30.0% | +1.6% |
| 1965 | 30.5% | +1.6% |
| 1966 | 30.8% | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 30.9% | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 31.1% | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 31.2% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 31.4% | +0.5% |
| 1971 | 31.1% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 31.1% | -0.1% |
| 1973 | 31.1% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 31.2% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 31.4% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 31.6% | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 31.7% | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 31.8% | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 31.9% | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 32.1% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 32.2% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 32.3% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 32.4% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 32.6% | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 32.7% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 32.9% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 33.2% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 33.5% | +0.8% |
| 1989 | 33.7% | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 34.1% | +0.9% |
| 1991 | 34.1% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 34.2% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 34.2% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 34.2% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 34.3% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 34.4% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 34.4% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 34.4% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 34.5% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 34.5% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 34.4% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 34.0% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 33.4% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 32.8% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 32.4% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 32.2% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 32.0% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 31.8% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 31.7% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 31.8% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 31.8% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 31.9% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 31.9% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 32.0% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 32.1% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 32.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 32.2% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 32.2% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 32.2% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 32.3% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 32.3% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 32.4% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 32.4% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 32.5% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 32.5% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 30.0% | 28.3% | 31.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.4% | 31.1% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.8% | 32.1% | 33.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.3% | 34.1% | 34.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.9% | 31.7% | 34.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.0% | 31.8% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.4% | 32.3% | 32.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More urban development data for Japan
- Population density 341.55 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- 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 in the largest city in Japan?
- Population in the largest city in Japan was 32.5% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 34.5% in 2000.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.3% in 1960.
- How does Japan rank for population in the largest city?
- Japan ranks 66th out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in the largest city (% of urban population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.