Rural population, per square kilometre in Japan
Japan: Rural population, per square kilometre was 27.04 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
27.04 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
105th
of 215 countries
All-time high
91.64 units per square kilometre
in 1961
All-time low
27.04 units per square kilometre
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in Japan, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
In 2023, rural population, per square kilometre in Japan stood at 27.04 units per square kilometre. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in Japan peaked at 91.64 units per square kilometre in 1961 and was at its lowest, 27.04 units per square kilometre, in 2023.
That places Japan 105th out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in Japan, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 91.64 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 90 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1963 | 88.54 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1964 | 87.15 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1965 | 85.8 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 84.33 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 83 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1968 | 81.77 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1969 | 80.58 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 79.34 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 1971 | 78.66 units per square kilometre | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 76.96 units per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 75.22 units per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 73.89 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 73.52 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 73.94 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 74.48 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 75.03 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 75.54 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1980 | 75.98 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 76.27 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 76.53 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 76.7 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 77.13 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1985 | 77.24 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 77.23 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1987 | 77.2 units per square kilometre | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 77.08 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 76.94 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 76.74 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 76.59 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 76.41 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 76.18 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 75.93 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 75.64 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 75.43 units per square kilometre | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 75.28 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 75.16 units per square kilometre | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 74.87 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 74.43 units per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 72.7 units per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 68.02 units per square kilometre | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 61.6 units per square kilometre | -9.4% |
| 2004 | 54.78 units per square kilometre | -11.1% |
| 2005 | 49.23 units per square kilometre | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 45.09 units per square kilometre | -8.4% |
| 2007 | 41.19 units per square kilometre | -8.6% |
| 2008 | 37.62 units per square kilometre | -8.7% |
| 2009 | 34.73 units per square kilometre | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 32.95 units per square kilometre | -5.1% |
| 2011 | 32.04 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 31.42 units per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 30.94 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 30.54 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 30.16 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 29.79 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 29.44 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 29.09 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 28.78 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 28.47 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 28.02 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 27.54 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 27.04 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 85.87 units per square kilometre | 80.58 units per square kilometre | 91.64 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 75.66 units per square kilometre | 73.52 units per square kilometre | 79.34 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 76.83 units per square kilometre | 75.98 units per square kilometre | 77.24 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.82 units per square kilometre | 74.87 units per square kilometre | 76.74 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.94 units per square kilometre | 34.73 units per square kilometre | 74.43 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.51 units per square kilometre | 28.78 units per square kilometre | 32.95 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.77 units per square kilometre | 27.04 units per square kilometre | 28.47 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 102 Ireland 27.67 units per square kilometre compare
- 103 Mozambique 27.5 units per square kilometre compare
- 104 North Macedonia 27.36 units per square kilometre compare
- 106 Cameroon 26.93 units per square kilometre compare
- 107 France 26.92 units per square kilometre compare
- 108 Ecuador 26.69 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for Japan
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0096 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 323.87 current US$ per person (2024)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.89 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture share gdp 0.9583 (2024)
- Value added in the agricultural sector as of gdp vs gdp per capita 0.9583 (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in Japan?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in Japan was 27.04 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 91.64 units per square kilometre in 1961.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.04 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does Japan rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- Japan ranks 105th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, 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
Rural population 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.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- 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
Rural population 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.