Nagoya: population and official figures
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Nagoya: Taxable income for municipal resident tax in Nagoya averaged 4.56 million yen per taxpayer in fiscal 2024, 18th highest of 262 cities and above the national average of 3,933.7 thousand yen per taxpayer. It is income before deductions, so it is not take-home pay.
- Health in Nagoya: Nagoya had 110 general hospitals (hospitals other than psychiatric ones) in 2023, or 4.72 per 100,000 residents, 124th lowest of 262 cities, below the national figure (5.60).
- Education in Nagoya: Nagoya had 265 primary schools with 110,507 pupils and 7,034 full-time teachers in May 2024.
- Poverty and living standards in Nagoya: 45.1% of private households in Nagoya were one-person households at the 2020 census (505,343), 15th highest of 262 cities, above the national figure (38.0%).
- Government budget and revenue in Nagoya: The municipal government of Nagoya took in 1.44 trillion yen in fiscal 2022 (final accounts), 615,428 yen per resident, 19th highest of 262 cities.
What is the population of Nagoya?
Nagoya had 2,332,176 residents at the 1 October 2020 census (city proper). That is 4th highest of 262 cities. The count includes foreign residents.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow big is Nagoya and how densely populated is it?
Nagoya covers 326.46 square kilometres (2024), of which 316.85 is habitable land. That is 7,144 people per square kilometre of total area at the 2020 census, 39th highest of 262 for density.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyIs the population of Nagoya growing or shrinking?
The basic resident register recorded 2,303,004 residents in Nagoya in 2024, 1.3% fewer than the 2020 census count (all municipalities together: -1.4%). The register and the census are counted differently, so the change is indicative.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many children live in Nagoya?
11.8% of residents of Nagoya were under 15 (275,484 children) and 59.5% were aged 15 to 64 at the 2020 census; nationally the shares were 11.9% and 57.8%.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many households are there in Nagoya?
Nagoya had 1,122,103 households at the 2020 census, of which 1,119,847 were private households; that is about 2.08 residents per household (residents divided by all households).
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many foreigners live in Nagoya?
69,501 foreign nationals lived in Nagoya at the 2020 census, 3.0% of residents, above the national figure (1.9%).
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many babies are born in Nagoya each year?
Nagoya recorded 15,701 births and 25,709 deaths in 2023, a natural decrease of 10,008. That is 6.7 births and 11.0 deaths per 1,000 residents (national: 5.8 and 12.5). Births are by Japanese nationals registered in the city.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyAre more people moving into or out of Nagoya?
In 2024, 147,291 people moved into Nagoya from other municipalities and 142,776 moved out, a net gain of 4,515 (moves within the city and from abroad are not counted).
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many marriages are there in Nagoya each year?
Nagoya registered 11,499 marriages and 3,698 divorces by Japanese nationals in 2023, or 4.9 marriages per 1,000 residents.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyNotes from the UN table: Excluding diplomatic personnel outside the country and foreign military and civilian personnel and their dependants stationed in the area. For the 2020 census, urban areas are “Densely Inhabited Districts”, defined as areas within a municipality that is composed of a group of contiguous Basic Unit Blocks, each of which has a population density of 4,000 inhabitants or more per square kilometer and whose total population exceeds 5,000 as of 1 October 2020. The detailed methodological explanation is available at https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/chiri/did/1-1.html Excluding diplomatic personnel outside the country and foreign military and civilian personnel and their dependants stationed in the area. For the 2020 census, urban areas are “Densely Inhabited Districts”, defined as areas within a municipality that is composed of a group of contiguous Basic Unit Blocks, each of which has a population density of 4,000 inhabitants or more per square kilometer and whose total population exceeds 5,000 as of 1 October 2020. The detailed methodological explanation is available at https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/chiri/did/1-1.html Excluding diplomatic personnel outside the country and foreign military and civilian personnel and their dependants stationed in the area. For the 2020 census, urban areas are “Densely Inhabited Districts”, defined as areas within a municipality that is composed of a group of contiguous Basic Unit Blocks, each of which has a population density of 4,000 inhabitants or more per square kilometer and whose total population exceeds 5,000 as of 1 October 2020. The detailed methodological explanation is available at https://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/chiri/did/1-1.html Land areas are based on the "Municipalities Area Statistics of Japan, 2015" published by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
Who runs Nagoya?
In Japan, cities and towns are run by municipalities: Mayor and municipal assembly both directly elected for four years. Primary and lower secondary schools, welfare, waste, water, residents' registers, disaster response. Large 'designated cities' (20) take on prefectural tasks and are divided into administrative wards whose heads are officials, not elected.
How local power works in Japan
Cities of a similar size in Japan
- Tokyo 9,733,276
- Yokohama 3,777,491
- Osaka 2,752,412
- Sapporo 1,973,395
- Fukuoka 1,612,392
- Kawasaki 1,538,262
- Kobe 1,525,152
- Kyoto 1,463,723
- Saitama 1,324,025
- Hiroshima 1,200,754
- Sendai 1,096,704
- Chiba 974,951
- Kitakyushu 939,029
- Sakai 826,161
- Hamamatsu 790,718
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Sources
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Municipalities 2026 (social and demographic statistics, city, ward, town and village data), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2cb3d8c51aa1…)
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Prefectures 2026 (national figures, "All Japan" row), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b69774a5f40c…)
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