As part of our research on Osaka real estate, we present some data on the estimated numbers of foreigners living in Osaka City, as well as the percentage of foreign born population in Osaka from each country.
How many Foreigners Live in Osaka City?
Osaka is a big city (the second largest city in Japan), and like Tokyo, it does have a large population of foreign residents. As of 2023, the population of Osaka City was 2,770,520 persons. Of that population, (as of 2023) there were 169,392 foreigners living in Osaka City.
Osaka is home to a growing population of foreign-born residents and international expats.
What Percentage of Osaka City’s Population is Foreign Born?
As of 2023, 6% of Osaka City’s population was from a foreign country. The percentage of foreigners living in Osaka is increasing over time, from 4% in 2013 to 6% in 2023.
Population of Foreigners in Osaka, by Year
There is relatively reliable and regular reporting on foreign-born people living in Osaka. If you’re interested in international populations trends, the data is available; in the data below, note the steady increases in foreigners residing in Osaka.
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This table presents data for foreign and international Osaka City residents only. For more complete data about the total population of Osaka, see our report on the Osaka population by year.
46% More Foreigners in Osaka Since 2013
Osaka is a Japanese city, and over 93% of the population in Osaka City is comprised of Japanese nationals. And while the total number of foreign-born residents of Osaka is relatively small, the percentage is increasing.
As the overall population of Osaka has increased year over year, the percentage of foreigners living in Osaka has also been steadily increasing, and hit an all-time high of 6% of the populations, or 169,392 residents (in 2023).
According to our own research here at Find Osaka Agents, ten years ago the population of non-Japanese in Osaka was approximately 4% of the total population, but recent data shows that number has grown such that now approximately 6% of Osaka City residents are foreigners – that is an increase of approximately 46% since 2013. As the overall population of Osaka has increased, foreign arrivals are an increasing part of the story of Osaka.
While the overall population of Osaka is growing at less than 1% per year, at 6%, the percentage of foreigners is growing much faster – Osaka is becoming a more and more international city.
For more detailed data, see our separate report on the foreigners in Osaka City by country.
Osaka City’s Foreign-Born Population by Country
The primary country of origin for foreigners living in Osaka is Korea (34% of the foreign population), followed by China (30%) and Vietnam (15%). The population of Chinese living in Osaka is growing the fastest, and will likely overtake the Korean population and become the largest foreign born population in Osaka City by 2026.
The first English-speaking country on the list of foreigners living in Osaka is the United States (6% of the foreign population in Osaka is from America). In the list of the top 10 foreign populations living in Osaka, Americans are the only western/white population. The majority of the foreign populations in Osaka are from neighboring Asian countries.
Foreigners Buying Real Estate in Osaka
Osaka is a large, stable, thriving Japanese city, with a range of active industries, populated primary by the Japanese. Everything that makes Osaka a historical place to live for the Japanese (including transplants moving to Osaka from other cities in Japan), also makes Osaka a viable city for foreigners and expats.
There is an active community of foreigners and international people interested real estate in Osaka. As real estate consultants, we have helped clients from all over the world to rent an apartment in Osaka, and to buy real estate in Osaka.
For help finding local real estate agents in Osaka, please contact us. We are happy to help.
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For More Information:
— Population of Osaka
— International Schools in Osaka, Japan
— Requirement for foreigners to have a domestic contact to purchase real estate
— Services that help buy property in foreign countries
See Also:
— Foreigners living in Sapporo