Abstract
Population studies on the history of Ryukyu have customarily pointed to a decline in the population of total population since the late 18th century and a steady increase in the urban population. In contrast, this paper offers a critical reexamination of data in the historical materials on which these studies were based. Population in Ryukyu since the late 18th century has been on an increasing trend in total population, and the urban population has also not been on a steady increase. While there was a large population increase on Okinawa Island, there was a marked population decline or stagnation in remote islands. In this way, population in Ryukyu in early modern times shifted according to a variety of regional characteristics.
