Nara: population, jobs, income, health, schools, welfare and budgets
Nara is a prefecture of Japan, number 27 of 47 by population. Nara had 1,285,000 residents on 1 October 2024 according to the Statistics Bureau population estimate, 21st least populous of 47 prefectures and 1.04% of Japan's 123,802,000 people.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Nara: The unemployment rate (share of the labour force without work) in Nara was 4.1% in 2020, tied for 9th highest of 47 prefectures.
- Health in Nara: The number of doctors working in medical facilities per 100,000 people in Nara was 286.8 in 2022, 17th highest of 47 prefectures.
- Education in Nara: The number of primary schools per 100,000 children aged 6 to 11 in Nara was 287.1 in 2024, 12th lowest of 47 prefectures.
- Poverty and living standards in Nara: The number of people receiving public assistance (seikatsu hogo) per 1,000 people in Nara was 13.89 in 2023, 22nd highest of 47 prefectures.
- Government budget and revenue in Nara: The fiscal strength index of the prefectural government (1.0 means tax revenue covers standard needs) in Nara was 0.410 in 2022, 19th lowest of 47 prefectures.
What is the population density of Nara?
The population density of Nara was 348.1 people per square kilometre in 2024, 15th densest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow urban is Nara?
The share of residents living in densely inhabited districts (urban areas) in Nara was 67.0% in 2020, 12th highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyIs the population of Nara growing or shrinking?
The population change over the year to 1 October (the sum of births, deaths and moves) of Nara was -0.80% in 2024, tied for 19th fastest growth of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyWhat is the birth rate in Nara?
The total fertility rate of Nara was 1.21 children per woman in 2023, tied for 12th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people live in the average household in Nara?
The average household size in Nara was 2.38 people in 2020, tied for 15th highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people live alone in Nara?
The share of households made up of one person living alone in Nara was 29.3% in 2020, 2nd lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many foreigners live in Nara?
The number of foreign residents per 100,000 people in Nara was 869 in 2020, 19th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow prefectures are governed in Japan
Prefectures (47: 1 to, 1 do, 2 fu, 43 ken). Governor (chiji) and prefectural assembly both directly elected for four years. Police, upper secondary schools, regional planning, hospitals, support to municipalities.
Every tier of government in Japan
Other prefectures of Japan
- Tokyo 14,178,000
- Kanagawa 9,225,000
- Osaka 8,757,000
- Aichi 7,460,000
- Saitama 7,332,000
- Chiba 6,251,000
- Hyogo 5,337,000
- Fukuoka 5,092,000
- Hokkaido 5,043,000
- Shizuoka 3,527,000
- Ibaraki 2,806,000
- Hiroshima 2,714,000
- Kyoto 2,520,000
- Miyagi 2,248,000
- Niigata 2,099,000
- Nagano 1,987,000
- Gifu 1,916,000
- Gunma 1,890,000
- Tochigi 1,885,000
- Okayama 1,831,000
- Fukushima 1,743,000
- Mie 1,711,000
- Kumamoto 1,697,000
- Kagoshima 1,532,000
- Okinawa 1,466,000
- Shiga 1,402,000
- Yamaguchi 1,281,000
- Ehime 1,276,000
- Nagasaki 1,252,000
- Aomori 1,165,000
- Iwate 1,145,000
- Ishikawa 1,098,000
- Oita 1,085,000
- Miyazaki 1,033,000
- Yamagata 1,011,000
- Toyama 997,000
- Kagawa 917,000
- Akita 897,000
- Wakayama 880,000
- Yamanashi 791,000
- Saga 788,000
- Fukui 739,000
- Tokushima 685,000
- Kochi 656,000
- Shimane 642,000
- Tottori 531,000
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Sources
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Population Estimates as of 1 October 2024, Table 2: population by prefecture and sex, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 171c9930a3c8…)
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Prefectures 2026 (Tōkei de miru todōfuken no sugata), full volume, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b69774a5f40c…)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat: Public Assistance Recipients Survey, monthly viewing tables for March 2026 (recipients and households by prefecture and city), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 35c582f0afd2…)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), via e-Stat: School Basic Survey fiscal 2025, table ey-289: what high school leavers did next, by prefecture and sex (graduates of March 2025), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 554ef7b4107e…)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan: Prefectural Life Tables 2020: chart and table data (life expectancy at selected ages), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 85e022250f89…)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan: Survey of Medical Institutions 2023 (static survey, 1 October 2023), statistical tables 1-14, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c58768c41bfc…)
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), via e-Stat: School Basic Survey fiscal 2026 (preliminary, 1 May 2026), table 4: primary schools, classes, pupils and staff by prefecture, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7f5e434b3617…)
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