Australia vs Japan: Urban population

Urban population in 2025: 87.7% in Australia and 92.3% in Japan, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Japan, by 4.6 percentage points, or 1.05 times that in Australia.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · UN

AustraliaJapanUN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025)

What the numbers say

Japan has been higher since 2005, when it overtook Australia.
In 2025, Australia ranked 44 and Japan ranked 28 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Australia at 89.6% and Japan at 96% in 2050.

Every year

% of people · UN

Year	Australia	Japan
2025	87.7	92.3
2024	87.6	92.2
2023	87.5	92.1
2022	87.3	92
2021	87.2	91.9
2020	87.3	91.8
2019	87.3	91.7
2018	87.2	91.6
2017	87.1	91.6
2016	87	91.5
2015	86.9	91.4
2014	86.7	91.3
2013	86.6	91.2
2012	86.5	91
2011	86.3	90.9
2010	86.2	90.6
2009	86.1	90.1
2008	86	89.3
2007	85.9	88.3
2006	85.8	87.2
2005	85.6	86
2004	85.5	84.4
2003	85.4	82.4
2002	85.3	80.6
2001	85.2	79.2
2000	85.1	78.6
1999	85.1	78.5
1998	85.2	78.3
1997	85.2	78.2
1996	85.2	78.1
1995	85.3	78
1994	85.3	77.9
1993	85.4	77.8
1992	85.4	77.6
1991	85.4	77.5
1990	85.4	77.3
1989	85.4	77.2
1988	85.4	77.1
1987	85.4	76.9
1986	85.4	76.8
1985	85.4	76.7
1984	85.5	76.6
1983	85.5	76.5
1982	85.6	76.4
1981	85.7	76.3
1980	85.8	76.2
1979	85.9	76.1
1978	85.9	76.1
1977	86	76
1976	86	76
1975	86	75.9
1974	85.9	75.4
1973	85.8	74.6
1972	85.7	73.7
1971	85.6	72.7
1970	85.3	71.9
1969	84.8	71.1
1968	84.2	70.3
1967	83.6	69.5
1966	83.2	68.7
1965	82.9	67.9
1964	82.7	67
1963	82.5	66.1
1962	82.2	65.2
1961	81.9	64.3
1960	81.6	63.3
1959	81.2	62.3
1958	80.8	61.3
1957	80.3	60.1
1956	79.8	58.7
1955	79.3	56.8
1954	78.7	53.4
1953	78.1	48.7
1952	77.4	43.8
1951	76.6	39.6
1950	75.8	37

UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050

Year	Australia	Japan
2026	87.8	92.4
2027	88	92.5
2028	88.1	92.7
2029	88.2	92.8
2030	88.3	92.9
2031	88.4	93
2032	88.5	93.1
2033	88.6	93.3
2034	88.7	93.4
2035	88.8	93.6
2036	88.9	93.7
2037	89	93.8
2038	89.1	94
2039	89.1	94.1
2040	89.2	94.3
2041	89.3	94.4
2042	89.3	94.6
2043	89.4	94.8
2044	89.4	94.9
2045	89.5	95.1
2046	89.5	95.3
2047	89.6	95.5
2048	89.6	95.6
2049	89.6	95.8
2050	89.6	96

Each country on its own

Good to know

The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Australia vs Japan: Urban population

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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