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When did Bangladesh overtake Japan in population?

1997: Bangladesh overtook Japan in population. Bangladesh leads in 2023. UN annual population estimates.

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What the data shows

  • Bangladesh: 92.82M in 1982, 171.47M in 2023 (1.8× higher).
  • Japan: 119.49M in 1982, 124.37M in 2023. It peaked at 128.19M in 2009.

About this chart

Bangladesh overtook Japan in 1997 in the annual population series. The change is visible between consecutive observations: in 1996, Bangladesh stood at 124.86 million, against Japan at 125.97 million. In 1997, the order reversed, with Bangladesh at 127.2 million and Japan at 126.27 million. This is the most recent upward crossing by Bangladesh in the available record.

By 2023, Bangladesh was ahead: Bangladesh recorded 171.47 million and Japan 124.37 million. These are UN World Population Prospects historical estimates, rather than census counts taken simultaneously in both countries. The chart uses the same annual series for each side and stops at the last common estimate, so future medium-variant projections do not determine the crossing.

The data

Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024 via Our World in Data; estimates to 2023, medium-variant projections after, millions of people. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Crossings compare adjacent annual observations; the highlighted year is the most recent upward crossing in this series. Historical UN estimates only; the chart contains no future projections.

Bangladesh overtakes Japan, Population, millions of people, 1982–2023, 1982–2023
Date🇧🇩 Bangladesh🇯🇵 Japan
198292.82M119.49M
198395.34M119.95M
198497.82M120.38M
1985100.25M120.83M
1986102.64M121.37M
1987104.96M121.94M
1988107.22M122.48M
1989109.43M122.95M
1990111.63M123.40M
1991113.79M123.89M
1992115.95M124.38M
1993118.13M124.84M
1994120.34M125.29M
1995122.60M125.67M
1996124.86M125.98M
1997127.20M126.27M
1998129.62M126.55M
1999132.11M126.80M
2000134.54M127.03M
2001136.81M127.26M
2002138.93M127.49M
2003140.97M127.67M
2004142.90M127.82M
2005144.72M127.91M
2006146.41M128.00M
2007147.99M128.09M
2008149.47M128.16M
2009150.87M128.19M
2010152.20M128.19M
2011153.59M128.10M
2012155.07M127.93M
2013156.53M127.72M
2014157.97M127.49M
2015159.38M127.28M
2016160.81M127.16M
2017162.19M127.07M
2018163.52M126.91M
2019164.91M126.70M
2020166.30M126.31M
2021167.66M125.68M
2022169.39M125.00M
2023171.47M124.37M

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Frequently asked questions

When did Bangladesh overtake Japan in population?

Bangladesh overtook Japan in 1997 in the annual population series. Bangladesh was below Japan in 1996 and above it in 1997.

Which has the larger population in 2023?

By 2023, Bangladesh was ahead: Bangladesh recorded 171.47 million and Japan 124.37 million.

What does the population comparison measure?

These are UN World Population Prospects historical estimates, rather than census counts taken simultaneously in both countries. The chart uses the same annual series for each side and stops at the last common estimate, so future medium-variant projections do not determine the crossing.

Where does this data come from?

UN World Population Prospects 2024 via Our World in Data; estimates to 2023, medium-variant projections after, millions of people. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Crossings compare adjacent annual observations; the highlighted year is the most recent upward crossing in this series. Historical UN estimates only; the chart contains no future projections. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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