Share of the population living in cities in Japan

Japan: Share of the population living in cities was 68.36 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
68.36
World rank
19th
of 229 countries
All-time high
68.72
in 2010
All-time low
43.65
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Japan, 1950–2020

02040601950198520201950: 43.71955: 47.51960: 52.41965: 57.41970: 60.41975: 62.71980: 63.81985: 64.31990: 661995: 67.92000: 67.82005: 68.32010: 68.72015: 68.42020: 68.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Japan recorded 68.36 for share of the population living in cities in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Japan peaked at 68.72 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 43.65, in 1950.

Japan ranks 19th of 229 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of the population living in cities in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Japan, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 43.65
1955 47.48 +8.8%
1960 52.37 +10.3%
1965 57.41 +9.6%
1970 60.35 +5.1%
1975 62.71 +3.9%
1980 63.83 +1.8%
1985 64.3 +0.7%
1990 66.01 +2.7%
1995 67.87 +2.8%
2000 67.79 -0.1%
2005 68.29 +0.7%
2010 68.72 +0.6%
2015 68.45 -0.4%
2020 68.36 -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 45.57 43.65 47.48 2
1960s 54.89 52.37 57.41 2
1970s 61.53 60.35 62.71 2
1980s 64.06 63.83 64.3 2
1990s 66.94 66.01 67.87 2
2000s 68.04 67.79 68.29 2
2010s 68.59 68.45 68.72 2
2020s 68.36 68.36 68.36 1

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 16 Jordan 73.07 compare
  2. 17 Palestine, State of 70.98 compare
  3. 18 Malta 68.72 compare
  4. 20 Israel 67.42 compare
  5. 21 Egypt 66.96 compare
  6. 22 Iraq 66.96 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Japan?
Share of the population living in cities in Japan was 68.36 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 68.72 in 2010.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 43.65 in 1950.
How does Japan rank for share of the population living in cities?
Japan ranks 19th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Japan data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population living in cities in Japan. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed