Population in largest city in Japan
Japan: Population in largest city was 37.04 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in largest city in Japan, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, population in largest city in Japan stood at 37.04 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in largest city in Japan peaked at 37.47 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 16.68 million, in 1960.
That places Japan 1st out of 153 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 19.77 million | 16.68 million | 22.67 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 26.00 million | 23.30 million | 28.17 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.21 million | 28.55 million | 32.07 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 33.46 million | 32.53 million | 34.28 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 35.51 million | 34.45 million | 36.61 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.21 million | 36.86 million | 37.47 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.23 million | 37.04 million | 37.39 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More urban development data for Japan
- Population in the largest city 32.5% (2025)
- 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 80.94 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidel 76.8% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in largest city in Japan?
- Population in largest city in Japan was 37.04 million in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in largest city recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 37.47 million in 2018.
- What is the lowest population in largest city recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.68 million in 1960.
- How does Japan rank for population in largest city?
- Japan ranks 1st out of 153 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in largest city rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. 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 largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.