Rural population in Japan
Japan: Rural population was 7.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in Japan, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2024, rural population in Japan stood at 7.9%. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Japan peaked at 28.1% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 7.9%, in 2024.
That places Japan 188th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Japan, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 28.1% | — |
| 1971 | 27.3% | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 26.5% | -2.9% |
| 1973 | 25.8% | -2.9% |
| 1974 | 25.0% | -2.9% |
| 1975 | 24.3% | -3.0% |
| 1976 | 24.1% | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 24.0% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 23.9% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 23.9% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 23.8% | -0.2% |
| 1981 | 23.7% | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 23.6% | -0.5% |
| 1983 | 23.5% | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 23.4% | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 23.3% | -0.5% |
| 1986 | 23.2% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 23.0% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 22.9% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 22.8% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 22.7% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 22.5% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 22.4% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 22.3% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 22.1% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 22.0% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 21.9% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 21.7% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 21.6% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 21.5% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 21.4% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 20.0% | -6.3% |
| 2002 | 18.4% | -8.3% |
| 2003 | 16.8% | -8.4% |
| 2004 | 15.4% | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 14.0% | -8.7% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | -8.1% |
| 2007 | 11.9% | -8.0% |
| 2008 | 10.9% | -8.1% |
| 2009 | 10.0% | -8.1% |
| 2010 | 9.2% | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 8.9% | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 8.9% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 8.8% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 8.7% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 8.5% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 8.5% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 8.4% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 8.2% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 8.1% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 8.0% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 8.0% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 7.9% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.3% | 23.9% | 28.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.3% | 22.8% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.1% | 21.5% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.2% | 10.0% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 8.3% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.0% | 7.9% | 8.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More population data for Japan
- 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)
- Population growth rate -0.501 (2100)
- Population density 210.83 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 2.83 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -0.501 (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Japan?
- Rural population in Japan was 7.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 28.1% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.9% in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for rural population?
- Japan ranks 188th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release