| Fukuoka–Kitakyushu----Fukuoka-Kitakyushu Greater Metropolitan Region | |
| Settlement Type: | Metropolitan area |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Prefectures |
| Population Metro: | 5538142 |
| Area Metro Km2: | 5741 |
| Population As Of: | 2015 |
| Population Density Metro Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type2: | GDP |
| Demographics2 Footnotes: | [1] |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Metro |
| Demographics2 Info1: | US$ 183 billion |
is the most common name given to the region comprising the metropolitan areas of the cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan and in between.[2] Alternate names are many, including Kitakyushu-Fukuoka Greater Metropolitan Region (北九州・福岡大都市圏),[3] Northern Part of Kyushu Greater Metropolitan Region (北部九州大都市圏)[4]
One reason for complications in naming is because the whole region itself was once referred to as "Kitakyushu", which had become ambiguous after the city merger in 1963 which created the city by the same name.
These cities may be referred to separately, but often are lumped together since they are close and lie in the same prefecture. Furthermore, their economic spheres, infrastructure, and transport links overlap. Note that the metro areas include the tip of Honshu island (Shimonoseki on Honshu is a significant suburb of Kitakyushu), as well as the northern part of Kyushu. The definition of Northern Kyushu is not a superset of Fukuoka–Kitakyushu; among the ways it differs: it generally does not include any cities on Honshu island.
The region consists of the following areas:
| Administrative division | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka-Kurume-Saga within Greater Fukuoka (福岡都市圏) | 2,868,977 (Oct 2006)[5] | |
| Greater Kitakyushu (北九州都市圏)/Kanmon Metropolitan Area (関門都市圏) including Shimonoseki (下関都市圏) | 2,400,000 (2005 Census)[6] | |
| Iizuka region (飯塚都市圏) | 200,000 (2005 Census) | |
| Ube region (宇部都市圏) | 270,000 (Nov 2006)[7] | |
| align=left style="border-top:3px solid grey;" | Fukuoka–Kitakyushu | 5,738,977 |
| Fukuoka metropolitan area | |
| Other Name: | Fukuoka MEA |
| Settlement Type: | Urban Employment Area |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Prefectures |
| Subdivision Name1: | Fukuoka Prefecture |
| Subdivision Type2: | Core city |
| Subdivision Name2: | Fukuoka |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Footnotes: | (2011)[8] |
| Area Total Km2: | 1282.99 |
| Area Blank1 Title: | Inhabitable area |
| Area Blank1 Km2: | 771.07 |
| Population As Of: | 2015 |
| Population Footnotes: | [9] |
| Population Total: | 2565501 |
| Population Rank: | 5th in Japan |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Metro Km2: | auto |
| Blank Name Sec1: | GDP (nominal) |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 8.92 trillion Japanese yen (2010) |
There is a trend for concentration near Fukuoka, with the other areas declining in importance.
| Metropolitan area | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fukuoka MEA | 1,773,129 | 2,129,424 | 2,329,021 | 2,495,552 | 2,565,501 | |
| Kitakyushu MEA | 1,524,747 | 1,428,014 | 1,425,920 | 1,397,618 | 1,314,276 | |
| Kurume MEA | 384,264 | 461,686 | 419,616 | 432,441 | 431,897 | |
| Shimonoseki MEA | 348,875 | 338,049 | 287,935 | 280,947 | 268,517 | |
| Iizuka McEA | 188,420 | 217,059 | 209,400 | 196,546 | 189,195 |
See main article: Transport in Fukuoka-Kitakyushu.