Egypt vs Japan: population
How Egypt and Japan compare in population today and out to 2100, side by side, from UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Egypt and Japan population, 2000-2100
Lines cross around 2028
Side by side
| 🇪🇬 Egypt | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population today | 119 million | 123 million |
| Population 2050 | 161 million | 105 million |
| Population 2100 | 202 million | 77.0 million |
| World rank | #13 | #12 |
| Peak year | after 2100 | 2010 |
| Median age (2024) | 24 | 49 |
| Fertility rate (2024) | 2.74 | 1.22 |
| Life expectancy (2024) | 72 yrs | 85 yrs |
| Density (per km²) | 121 | 325 |
Why this comparison matters
Japan and Egypt are close in size today and about to swap places. Japan's population peaked in 2010, its fertility is 1.2 births per woman and its median age of 49 makes it one of the oldest populations in the world. Egypt's median age is 24 and its fertility 2.7. The UN projects Egypt to pass Japan around 2028, and by 2100 the gap is very wide: 202 million against 77.0 million.
Egypt vs Japan, explained
Today Japan is the larger of the two, with about 123 million people against Egypt's 119 million. Egypt is the world's 13th most populous country and Japan the 12th.
Their paths to 2100 differ. Egypt grows strongly over the century, moving from about 116 million to 202 million (+74.6%). Japan falls sharply, going from 124 million to 77.0 million (-37.9%).
The two cross over: Egypt is projected to overtake Japan around 2028, when both sit near 122 million people. It is one of the clearer signals of how the global ranking is being rewritten.
The deeper contrast is age and fertility. Egypt has a median age near 24 and 2.74 births per woman, against Japan's 49 and 1.22. All figures follow the UN's medium-variant projection.