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US vs Japan Population
United States has held the lead throughout the published window. In 1960 Japan stood at roughly 52% of United States’s Population; today the figure is about 36%, and the pair was closest in 1976 (52%).
| Year | United States | Japan | Japan as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 180,671,000 | 93,216,000 | 52% |
| 1970 | 205,052,000 | 103,403,000 | 50% |
| 1980 | 227,225,000 | 116,807,000 | 51% |
| 1990 | 249,623,000 | 123,478,000 | 49% |
| 2000 | 282,162,411 | 126,843,000 | 45% |
| 2010 | 309,378,227 | 128,070,000 | 41% |
| 2020 | 331,578,104 | 126,261,000 | 38% |
| 2025 | 341,784,857 | 123,366,734 | 36% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States pass Japan in Population?
It has not come to that. United States has held the larger Population in every published year (1960–2025).
How do United States and Japan compare today?
United States is ahead: 341,784,857 against 123,366,734 — the trailing economy stands at about 36% of the leader.
Are these Population figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — people — with no inflation restatement, no PPP conversion and no interpolation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: