Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Japan
Japan: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 314.13 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
314.13 people per square kilometre
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
25th
of 215 countries
All-time high
319.48 people per square kilometre
in 2012
All-time low
170.4 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Japan, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
Japan recorded 314.13 people per square kilometre for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Japan peaked at 319.48 people per square kilometre in 2012 and was at its lowest, 170.4 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
Japan ranks 25th 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.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Japan, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 170.4 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 174.47 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 178.5 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1964 | 182.57 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 186.8 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1966 | 190.93 people per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1967 | 195.23 people per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 199.88 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1969 | 204.49 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1970 | 209.12 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1971 | 214.05 people per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1972 | 219.55 people per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 225.19 people per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 230.41 people per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 234.53 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 237.35 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 239.83 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 242.05 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 244.14 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 246.13 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 247.63 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 249.11 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 250.44 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 252.77 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 254.17 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 255.62 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 257.33 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 258.9 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 260.35 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 261.76 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 263.26 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 264.77 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 266.21 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 267.63 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 268.92 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 270.05 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 271 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 271.94 people per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 272.9 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 273.96 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 276.37 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 281.71 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 288.69 people per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2004 | 295.86 people per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 301.65 people per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 306.02 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 310.19 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 313.94 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 316.92 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 318.7 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 319.32 people per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 319.48 people per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 319.4 people per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 319.17 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 318.99 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 319.05 people per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 319.14 people per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 319.07 people per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 318.8 people per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 318.04 people per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 316.78 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 315.42 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 314.13 people per square kilometre | -0.4% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 314.13 people per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 people per square kilometre, 4.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Japan's 314.13 people per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 81.73 people per square kilometre, 3.8× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 187.03 people per square kilometre | 170.4 people per square kilometre | 204.49 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 229.62 people per square kilometre | 209.12 people per square kilometre | 244.14 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 253.25 people per square kilometre | 246.13 people per square kilometre | 260.35 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 267.84 people per square kilometre | 261.76 people per square kilometre | 272.9 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 296.53 people per square kilometre | 273.96 people per square kilometre | 316.92 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 319.11 people per square kilometre | 318.7 people per square kilometre | 319.48 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 316.09 people per square kilometre | 314.13 people per square kilometre | 318.04 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 22 Aruba 370.8 people per square kilometre compare
- 23 Puerto Rico 344.22 people per square kilometre compare
- 24 Belgium 336.29 people per square kilometre compare
- 26 Cayman Islands 304.32 people per square kilometre compare
- 27 Guam 290.26 people per square kilometre compare
- 28 Kuwait 271.54 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Japan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -5.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.5507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 103,784 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.5891 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.2372 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.5% (2100)
- Population density 210.83 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 2.83 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Japan?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Japan was 314.13 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 319.48 people per square kilometre in 2012.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 170.4 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Japan rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Japan ranks 25th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.