Japan vs Papua New Guinea: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 92.3% in Japan and 15.8% in Papua New Guinea, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Japan, by 76.5 percentage points, or 5.85 times that in Papua New Guinea.
JapanPapua New Guinea
Watch it change on the map% of people · UN · log scale
Latest figures
% of people · UN
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 92.3 2025 | 91.4 | 28 of 229 | 96 2050 |
| Papua New Guinea | 15.8 2025 | 13.2 | 226 of 229 | 32.4 2050 |
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1950.
- In 2025, Japan ranked 28 and Papua New Guinea ranked 226 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Japan at 96% and Papua New Guinea at 32.4% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Japan | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92.3 | 15.8 |
| 2024 | 92.2 | 15.4 |
| 2023 | 92.1 | 15.1 |
| 2022 | 92 | 14.7 |
| 2021 | 91.9 | 14.4 |
| 2020 | 91.8 | 14.2 |
| 2019 | 91.7 | 13.9 |
| 2018 | 91.6 | 13.7 |
| 2017 | 91.6 | 13.5 |
| 2016 | 91.5 | 13.4 |
| 2015 | 91.4 | 13.2 |
| 2014 | 91.3 | 13.1 |
| 2013 | 91.2 | 13.1 |
| 2012 | 91 | 13 |
| 2011 | 90.9 | 13 |
| 2010 | 90.6 | 13 |
| 2009 | 90.1 | 13 |
| 2008 | 89.3 | 13 |
| 2007 | 88.3 | 13 |
| 2006 | 87.2 | 13.1 |
| 2005 | 86 | 13.1 |
| 2004 | 84.4 | 13.1 |
| 2003 | 82.4 | 13.1 |
| 2002 | 80.6 | 13.2 |
| 2001 | 79.2 | 13.2 |
| 2000 | 78.6 | 13.2 |
| 1999 | 78.5 | 13.3 |
| 1998 | 78.3 | 13.5 |
| 1997 | 78.2 | 13.8 |
| 1996 | 78.1 | 14 |
| 1995 | 78 | 14.4 |
| 1994 | 77.9 | 14.7 |
| 1993 | 77.8 | 14.9 |
| 1992 | 77.6 | 15.2 |
| 1991 | 77.5 | 15.3 |
| 1990 | 77.3 | 15.4 |
| 1989 | 77.2 | 15.3 |
| 1988 | 77.1 | 15.1 |
| 1987 | 76.9 | 14.9 |
| 1986 | 76.8 | 14.5 |
| 1985 | 76.7 | 14.2 |
| 1984 | 76.6 | 13.8 |
| 1983 | 76.5 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 76.4 | 13.3 |
| 1981 | 76.3 | 13.1 |
| 1980 | 76.2 | 13.1 |
| 1979 | 76.1 | 13.1 |
| 1978 | 76.1 | 13.1 |
| 1977 | 76 | 13.1 |
| 1976 | 76 | 13.1 |
| 1975 | 75.9 | 13 |
| 1974 | 75.4 | 12.7 |
| 1973 | 74.6 | 12.2 |
| 1972 | 73.7 | 11.7 |
| 1971 | 72.7 | 11.1 |
| 1970 | 71.9 | 10.2 |
| 1969 | 71.1 | 9.1 |
| 1968 | 70.3 | 7.8 |
| 1967 | 69.5 | 6.6 |
| 1966 | 68.7 | 5.9 |
| 1965 | 67.9 | 5.4 |
| 1964 | 67 | 5 |
| 1963 | 66.1 | 4.6 |
| 1962 | 65.2 | 4.2 |
| 1961 | 64.3 | 3.8 |
| 1960 | 63.3 | 3.5 |
| 1959 | 62.3 | 3.1 |
| 1958 | 61.3 | 2.9 |
| 1957 | 60.1 | 2.6 |
| 1956 | 58.7 | 2.4 |
| 1955 | 56.8 | 2.2 |
| 1954 | 53.4 | 2 |
| 1953 | 48.7 | 1.9 |
| 1952 | 43.8 | 1.8 |
| 1951 | 39.6 | 1.7 |
| 1950 | 37 | 1.7 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Japan | Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 92.4 | 16.2 |
| 2027 | 92.5 | 16.6 |
| 2028 | 92.7 | 17.1 |
| 2029 | 92.8 | 17.5 |
| 2030 | 92.9 | 18 |
| 2031 | 93 | 18.5 |
| 2032 | 93.1 | 19.1 |
| 2033 | 93.3 | 19.6 |
| 2034 | 93.4 | 20.2 |
| 2035 | 93.6 | 20.8 |
| 2036 | 93.7 | 21.5 |
| 2037 | 93.8 | 22.1 |
| 2038 | 94 | 22.8 |
| 2039 | 94.1 | 23.5 |
| 2040 | 94.3 | 24.2 |
| 2041 | 94.4 | 24.9 |
| 2042 | 94.6 | 25.7 |
| 2043 | 94.8 | 26.5 |
| 2044 | 94.9 | 27.2 |
| 2045 | 95.1 | 28.1 |
| 2046 | 95.3 | 28.9 |
| 2047 | 95.5 | 29.7 |
| 2048 | 95.6 | 30.6 |
| 2049 | 95.8 | 31.5 |
| 2050 | 96 | 32.4 |
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