Japan — Internet users
Individuals Using the Internet (% of Population) for Japan, 1990–2024.
Internet users for Japan was 85.54% in 2024, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1990 to 2024. The highest recorded value was 93.18% in 2016. The lowest was 0.02% in 1990 (about 4213.9× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 27.82% per year.
Japan ranks 84 of 203 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 41%. The median for East Asia & Pacific is 80.51%, so Japan sits above it. It peaked in 2016 and has fallen 8% since. Over the last decade (2014–2024) the figure moved down 4%. Within East Asia & Pacific it ranks 12 of 32 economies; Mongolia (85.12%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 315% in 1993. That is 4% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 1990 level: doubled by 1992; grown tenfold by 1993. Doubling roughly every 2.8 years at that pace.
World ranking. Slipped: 16th of 201 in 1990 → 22nd of 195 in 2000 → 17th of 200 in 2010 → 32nd of 183 in 2020 → 77th of 180 in 2024.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2024
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 85.54% | +0.5 pp |
| 2023 | 85.01% | +0.1 pp |
| 2022 | 84.92% | +2.0 pp |
| 2021 | 82.91% | -7.3 pp |
| 2020 | 90.22% | -2.5 pp |
| 2019 | 92.73% | +4.0 pp |
| 2018 | 88.75% | -3.0 pp |
| 2017 | 91.73% | -1.5 pp |
| 2016 | 93.18% | +2.1 pp |
| 2015 | 91.06% | +2.0 pp |
| 2014 | 89.11% | +0.9 pp |
| 2013 | 88.22% | +8.7 pp |
| 2012 | 79.5% | +0.4 pp |
| 2011 | 79.05% | +0.8 pp |
| 2010 | 78.21% | +0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 78% | +2.6 pp |
| 2008 | 75.4% | +1.1 pp |
| 2007 | 74.3% | +5.6 pp |
| 2006 | 68.69% | +1.8 pp |
| 2005 | 66.92% | +4.5 pp |
| 2004 | 62.39% | +14.0 pp |
| 2003 | 48.44% | +1.8 pp |
| 2002 | 46.59% | +8.1 pp |
| 2001 | 38.53% | +8.5 pp |
| 2000 | 29.99% | +8.6 pp |
| 1999 | 21.4% | +8.0 pp |
| 1998 | 13.4% | +4.2 pp |
| 1997 | 9.16% | +4.8 pp |
| 1996 | 4.37% | +2.8 pp |
| 1995 | 1.59% | +0.8 pp |
| 1994 | 0.8% | +0.4 pp |
| 1993 | 0.4% | +0.3 pp |
| 1992 | 0.1% | +0.1 pp |
| 1991 | 0.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 1990 | 0.02% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Japan’s Internet users in 1991?
0.04% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Japan’s Internet users growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2024 the series was growing overall: +421286.9% in total — about 27.8% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator IT.NET.USER.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2024: 85.54%; 2023: 85.01%; 2022: 84.92%; 2021: 82.91%; 2020: 90.22%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
IT.NET.USER.ZS — Individuals Using the Internet (% of Population). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.