Osaka, Japan Population 2024

Osaka's 2024 population is now estimated at 18,967,500In 1950, the population of Osaka was 7,005,280Osaka experienced a decrease of -45,900 residents over the past year, marking an annual decline of -0.24%.These population estimates and projections come from the latest revision of the UN World Urbanization Prospects. These estimates represent the Urban agglomeration of Osaka, which typically includes Osaka's population in addition to adjacent suburban areas.

Osaka is a city in Japan that is located in the Kansai region, a region that has been referred to as the cultural heart of the country. It is the capital of the Osaka Prefecture, and it is also part of Japan’s second largest metropolitan area, Keihanshin, which boasts a population of over 19 million. As of 2016, the population of the city of Osaka was over 2 million.

Osaka City Area Size

Osaka has a 2016 population of 2.6 million spread across 221 square kilometers. It is located on the island of Honshu and is the capital of the Osaka Prefecture, which includes 42 other municipalities. The Osaka Prefecture is the second largest by area in the country, and it accounts for 7% of the nation’s population.

Metropolitan Area Size

The Kansai metropolitan area, which includes Osaka, has a total area of 27,350 and a population that exceeds 20 million, making it one of the largest metropolises in the world. The city of Osaka was first incorporated in 1889 and has become known as the food capital of the world and this port city has had a history of a flourishing economy in part due to trade and travel made possible by its sea and river routes.

Osaka Population Demographics

The city of Osaka has a population of over 2 million. However, the entire Osaka Prefecture which includes Osaka City and 42 municipalities has a total land area of 1,905 square kilometers and a population of over 8 million, accounting for 7% of Japan’s total population. The city is comprised of 24 wards, and the central area is divided into two sections: Kita to the north and Minami to the south. Kita is considered the retail and business hub of the downtown area, while Minami is known for arts and fashion. The west side is a bay area, while the east side is comprised mostly of residential neighborhoods.

Ten percent of non-Japanese residents live in Osaka. According to the official census of 2005, there were over 99,000 registered foreign residents in the city, composed of Koreans (71,015 residents) and Chinese residents (11,848.)

The average life expectancy in Osaka is 78.99 years for males and 85.93 years for females. The total fertility rate in 2013 was 1.32, which is one of the lowest in the country but showed a slight increase over the 1.31 tracked in 2012.

Osaka History

Osaka has a rich history dating back over 1400 years. As far back as the 5th century, Osaka was an economic and political center of Japan, mainly because of its access to sea and river routes for traders and travelers. Visitors from Korea, China and throughout Asia gained access to what is now the city of Osaka through the Naniwazu Port, which is currently the port of Osaka. Travelers to the area brought new technology in ceramics, construction and engineering. Travelers also brought Buddhism, which quickly spread throughout the area.

A series of civil wars led to the devastation of the area during the 14th century and conflicts continued over the years, leading to the destruction of the Ishiyama Honganji Temple and the later destruction of the Osaka Castle city. The city was later rebuilt from the ashes that remained from civil war and during the Edo Period from 1601 to 1867, became known as “Japan’s kitchen” because the port shipped essentials throughout the country and internationally. As Osaka became an economic hub, it also became known for its arts and culture.

In 1868, the city transformed from one known for trade and finance to a commercialized area, leading to the 19th century nickname “smoky city” because of its factory smokestacks. Osaka was officially incorporated in 1889 and has continued to thrive in terms of its culture and economy. Years following led to the first streetcar in Osaka, the hosting of the 5th National Industrial Exposition, and by 1925, Osaka was the largest city in Japan by both population and area.

Today, Osaka has a flourishing economy. The “Food Capital of Japan” is renowned for its varied, abundant and delicious cuisines, and the city has over 100 Michelin star-rated restaurants. The area is a popular destination for tourists, who partake in the delicious restaurants, shopping and visiting historic landmarks such as the Osaka Castle.

Osaka Population Growth

The population of Osaka has declined in recent years, and the declines have been attributed to residents moving from the city into the suburbs. In 1930, Osaka was the largest city in Japan, outnumbering Tokyo by over 400,000. The city saw a peak population of over 3.2 million in 1940. Osaka, like other cities in Japan, is experiencing a decline in population. The 2015 census that tracks the period from 2010 to 2015 shows that Osaka’s decline was the city’s first in almost seven decades. The declines in both the city and the country as a whole have been attributed to historically low fertility rates and deaths that have outnumbered births by about 200,000 in recent years. Future forecasts show that the city will experience a decline in population over the next few years, hitting 2.05 million by the end of 2020, before declining further to less than 2 million in 2030.

Country
Japan
Growth Rate
-0.24%

86 Rows

Year
Population
203518,345,600
203418,411,300
203318,475,500
203218,538,000
203118,598,900
203018,658,100
202918,715,300
202818,770,500
202718,823,500
202618,873,900
202518,921,600
202418,967,500
202319,013,400
202219,059,900
202119,110,600
202019,165,300
201919,222,700
201819,281,200
201719,289,000
201619,296,900
201519,304,700
201419,312,600
201319,320,400
201219,328,200
201119,336,100
201019,312,600
200919,196,700
200819,081,600
200718,967,000
200618,853,100
200518,762,100
200418,737,200
200318,712,200
200218,687,300
200118,662,500
200018,660,000
199918,724,300
199818,788,800
199718,853,400
199618,918,200
199518,939,600
199418,831,300
199318,723,700
199218,616,800
199118,510,200
199018,388,800
198918,222,100
198818,057,100
198717,893,200
198617,731,000
198517,582,600
198417,472,300
198317,362,400
198217,253,300
198117,144,900
198017,027,500
197916,881,900
197816,737,700
197716,594,800
197616,453,200
197516,298,100
197416,102,500
197315,909,200
197215,718,500
197115,529,600
197015,271,500
196914,810,400
196814,363,900
196713,929,700
196613,509,100
196513,065,300
196412,534,300
196312,023,400
196211,534,000
196111,064,600
196010,614,800
195910,182,200
19589,767,780
19579,370,220
19568,989,350
19558,622,980
19548,272,010
19537,935,320
19527,612,780
19517,302,510
19507,005,280

86 Rows

Year
Population
Change
Growth
19507,005,2800%0
19517,302,5104.24%297,230
19527,612,7804.25%310,270
19537,935,3204.24%322,540
19548,272,0104.24%336,690
19558,622,9804.24%350,970
19568,989,3504.25%366,370
19579,370,2204.24%380,870
19589,767,7804.24%397,560
195910,182,2004.24%414,420
196010,614,8004.25%432,600
196111,064,6004.24%449,800
196211,534,0004.24%469,400
196312,023,4004.24%489,400
196412,534,3004.25%510,900
196513,065,3004.24%531,000
196613,509,1003.4%443,800
196713,929,7003.11%420,600
196814,363,9003.12%434,200
196914,810,4003.11%446,500
197015,271,5003.11%461,100
197115,529,6001.69%258,100
197215,718,5001.22%188,900
197315,909,2001.21%190,700
197416,102,5001.22%193,300
197516,298,1001.21%195,600
197616,453,2000.95%155,100
197716,594,8000.86%141,600
197816,737,7000.86%142,900
197916,881,9000.86%144,200
198017,027,5000.86%145,600
198117,144,9000.69%117,400
198217,253,3000.63%108,400
198317,362,4000.63%109,100
198417,472,3000.63%109,900
198517,582,6000.63%110,300
198617,731,0000.84%148,400
198717,893,2000.91%162,200
198818,057,1000.92%163,900
198918,222,1000.91%165,000
199018,388,8000.91%166,700
199118,510,2000.66%121,400
199218,616,8000.58%106,600
199318,723,7000.57%106,900
199418,831,3000.57%107,600
199518,939,6000.58%108,300
199618,918,200-0.11%-21,400
199718,853,400-0.34%-64,800
199818,788,800-0.34%-64,600
199918,724,300-0.34%-64,500
200018,660,000-0.34%-64,300
200118,662,5000.01%2,500
200218,687,3000.13%24,800
200318,712,2000.13%24,900
200418,737,2000.13%25,000
200518,762,1000.13%24,900
200618,853,1000.49%91,000
200718,967,0000.6%113,900
200819,081,6000.6%114,600
200919,196,7000.6%115,100
201019,312,6000.6%115,900
201119,336,1000.12%23,500
201219,328,200-0.04%-7,900
201319,320,400-0.04%-7,800
201419,312,600-0.04%-7,800
201519,304,700-0.04%-7,900
201619,296,900-0.04%-7,800
201719,289,000-0.04%-7,900
201819,281,200-0.04%-7,800
201919,222,700-0.3%-58,500
202019,165,300-0.3%-57,400
202119,110,600-0.29%-54,700
202219,059,900-0.27%-50,700
202319,013,400-0.24%-46,500
202418,967,500-0.24%-45,900
202518,921,600-0.24%-45,900
202618,873,900-0.25%-47,700
202718,823,500-0.27%-50,400
202818,770,500-0.28%-53,000
202918,715,300-0.29%-55,200
203018,658,100-0.31%-57,200
203118,598,900-0.32%-59,200
203218,538,000-0.33%-60,900
203318,475,500-0.34%-62,500
203418,411,300-0.35%-64,200
203518,345,600-0.36%-65,700

Osaka Population Data (Urban Area)

Name
2024 Pop.
2024 Growth
Tokyo37,115,000-0.21%
Osaka18,967,500-0.24%
Nagoya9,556,880-0.13%
Fukuoka5,478,080-0.22%
Shizuoka2,935,530-0.06%
Sapporo2,660,950-0.19%
Sendai2,341,430-0.04%
Hiroshima2,062,880-0.23%
Niigata795,916-0.24%
Kumamoto736,779-0.22%
Okayama720,343-0.24%
Kagoshima581,211-0.4%
Utsunomiya518,833-0.24%
Matsuyama503,659-0.29%
Oita475,472-0.22%
Kurashiki471,431-0.23%
Kanazawa462,233-0.24%
Fukuyama461,529-0.23%
Takamatsu415,595-0.23%
Toyama407,299-0.36%

Other Cities in Japan

  1. Osaka Global - Information on the Osaka area, population, and climate
  2. City of Osaka - Information on the population and city of Osaka

Sources