In 2024, Japan had an average inflation rate of 2.74 percent. Japan's inflation rate had hit a record high in 2023 at 3.27 percent, marking the highest rate of inflation in Japan in recent times. However, this figure was still very low compared to most other major economies, such as Japan's fellow G7 members, four of which had inflation rates around six or seven percent in 2023 due to the global inflation crisis. Why is Japan's inflation rate lower? There are a number of contributing factors to Japan's relatively low inflation rate, even during economic crises. Japan eased its Covid restrictions more slowly than most other major economies, this prevented post-pandemic consumer spending that may have driven inflation through supply chain issues caused by higher demand. As the majority of Japan's food and energy comes from overseas, and has done so for decades, the government has mechanisms in place to prevent energy and wheat prices from rising too quickly. Because of this, Japan was able to shield its private sector from many of the negative knock on effects from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which had a significant impact on both sectors globally. Persistent deflation and national debt An additional factor that has eased the impact of inflation on Japan's economy is the fact that it experienced deflation before the pandemic. Deflation has been a persistent problem in Japan since the asset price bubble burst in 1992, and has been symptomatic of Japan's staggering national debt thereafter. For almost 30 years, a combination of quantitative easing, low interest rates (below 0.5 percent since 1995, and at -0.1% since 2016), and a lack of spending due to low wages and an aging population have combined to give Japan the highest national debt in the world in absolute terms, and second-highest debt in relation to its GDP, after Venezuela. Despite this soaring debt, Japan remains the fourth-largest economy in the world, behind the U.S., China, and Germany.

Inflation Rate in Japan increased to 3 percent in October from 2.90 percent in September of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Japan Inflation Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In October 2025, the inflation rate in Japan stood at *** percent. The term inflation means the devaluation of money caused by a permanent increase of the price level for goods and services. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the price development for private expenses and shows the current level of inflation when it increases. Rising consumer prices since 2022 Since the economic downturn in the 1990s, consumer prices in Japan have remained stagnant. Many Japanese consumers have never experienced a significant rise in cost of living, as the country had been struggling with deflationary pressures for over three decades. In the last years, this has changed drastically. Consumers have been confronted with rising prices since 2022, driven by global tensions and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Japan’s CPI recorded a *** percent growth in 2024, real household consumption expenditure declined. Consumer inflation in 2024 Annual inflation decreased from *** percent in 2023, the highest level recorded since 1991. A look at the price growth of major categories in the CPI shows that prices for ********************** saw the largest increases in 2024, followed by **** and ******************************. Fresh food prices, which rose by ***** percent, were at the core of the food price growth. ************, ****************, and ******* such as rice, bread, and noodles, were among the major contributors to Japan’s inflation. Rice prices jumped significantly in 2024. The staple food continued to see drastic price hikes in 2025.

The rising inflation worldwide in 2022 and 2023 is reflected in the increasing prices of the different commodity groups in the G7 countries. Most notably, the price of electricity, gas, and other fuels was high in the third quarter of 2024 in Japan, with price increases reaching ** percent compared to the same period in 2023. On the other hand, gas and electricity inflation was negative in Germany, Italy, and the UK following extremely high rates in 2022 and the first half of 2023. Inflation rates increased sharply all around the world through 2022 and the beginning of 2023, spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Economic challenges in Japan As food and restaurant costs have risen in Japan in comparison to the rest of the G7 nations, overall, Japan is facing a period of economic slowdown. Over time, the value of the Japanese yen has dropped. Moreover, the Japanese GDP has also dropped, going from around **** trillion U.S. dollars in 2021 to *** trillion U.S. dollars by 2024. However, it is predicted to begin increasing by 2025. Falling electricity costs Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis driven by the February 2022 invasion of Russia into Ukraine, electricity prices increased worldwide through 2021, 2022, and 2023. As of 2024, inflation of electricity costs is decreasing across the G7, more than other commodity groups. This rise and fall can be seen throughout Europe as well as within the United States, after peaking in 2022.

Inflation rates rose all around the world in 2022, so also in the G7 countries, where inflation rates varied from 2.5 percent in Japan to over 8 percent in Italy. Inflation rates increased sharply all around the world through 2022, spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February that year. Especially gas and electricity were hit by price increases following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. Inflation rates were falling in all G7 economies in 2024.

In most countries included in the survey, respondents expect that inflation rates will be higher in 2024 than in 2023. This was highest in South Africa, where ** percent of the respondents believed that inflation rates would be higher in 2024. Japan was the only of the countries in the survey where less than half believed that inflation rates would be higher. Inflation rates soared in several countries worldwide in 2022 and 2023 following the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Of the major developed and emerging economies, China was the only one to register deflation at **** percent in September 2025. On the other end of the spectrum, the inflation rate in Russia stood at ***** percent. The country's inflation rate increased sharply after the country's President, Vladimir Putin, decided to invade Ukraine, declined somewhat in 2023, before increasing slowly again since. The rate of inflation reflects changes in the cost of a specified basket containing a representative selection of goods and services. It is derived from the consumer price index (CPI).