A breakdown of annual household incomes in Japan showed that around seven percent of households earned less than one million Japanese yen per year as of 2023. That year, the average annual household income of Japanese households was approximately 5.2 million Japanese yen.

In 2024, the 8.1 percent of male full-time workers in Japan had monthly scheduled cash earnings of 400 to 449.9 thousand Japanese yen. At the same time, 11.6 percent of female workers had monthly earnings of 220 to 239.9 thousand yen.

The scheduled cash earnings of ordinary workers in Japan in 2024 amounted to 392 thousand Japanese yen for people aged 55 to 59 years old. Scheduled cash earnings tended to be highest for workers in their fifties and strongly decreased afterwards.

Japan JP: Income Share Held by Highest 20% data was reported at 39.700 % in 2008. Japan JP: Income Share Held by Highest 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 39.700 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2008, with 1 observations. Japan JP: Income Share Held by Highest 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Japan JP: Income Share Held by Highest 10% data was reported at 24.700 % in 2008. Japan JP: Income Share Held by Highest 10% data is updated yearly, averaging 24.700 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2008, with 1 observations. Japan JP: Income Share Held by Highest 10% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Japan PA: Flow: FC: PI: Corp Income Distribution (CD) data was reported at 3,185.900 JPY bn in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,970.700 JPY bn for 2013. Japan PA: Flow: FC: PI: Corp Income Distribution (CD) data is updated yearly, averaging 1,376.100 JPY bn from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2014, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,333.700 JPY bn in 2006 and a record low of 674.000 JPY bn in 1998. Japan PA: Flow: FC: PI: Corp Income Distribution (CD) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A085: SNA 1993: Benchmark Year=2005: Income & Outlay Accounts: By Institution: Primary Income Acc Allocation: Annual.

GPI: PCE: Wages & Salaries data was reported at 33,250,728.000 JPY mn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 31,873,857.000 JPY mn for 2022. GPI: PCE: Wages & Salaries data is updated yearly, averaging 31,315,342.000 JPY mn from Mar 2012 (Median) to 2023, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 33,250,728.000 JPY mn in 2023 and a record low of 29,519,317.000 JPY mn in 2012. GPI: PCE: Wages & Salaries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics of Tokyo. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A114: SNA 2008: Benchmark year=2015: TM: Distribution of Prefectural Income & Disposable Income (at Current Prices).

In a survey conducted in 2022 in Japan, 48.6 percent of dispatch workers stated to receive an hourly wage between 1,500 and 1,749 Japanese yen. This was the most common range of hourly remuneration among dispatch workers in Japan.

NDI: NI: EI: Public Corporations: Non Financial Corporations data was reported at 12.400 JPY bn in Mar 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 48.600 JPY bn for Dec 2014. NDI: NI: EI: Public Corporations: Non Financial Corporations data is updated quarterly, averaging -96.200 JPY bn from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2015, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 115.500 JPY bn in Dec 2007 and a record low of -751.500 JPY bn in Mar 1995. NDI: NI: EI: Public Corporations: Non Financial Corporations data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A075: SNA 93: Benchmark Year=2005: Distribution of National Income and National Disposable Income.

NDI: NI: Property income (PI) data was reported at 7,832.000 JPY bn in Mar 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,515.600 JPY bn for Dec 2014. NDI: NI: Property income (PI) data is updated quarterly, averaging 6,154.800 JPY bn from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2015, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11,526.100 JPY bn in Mar 1995 and a record low of 4,150.100 JPY bn in Dec 2003. NDI: NI: Property income (PI) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A075: SNA 1993: Benchmark Year=2005: Distribution of National Income and National Disposable Income. Changed from SNA 1993 to SNA 2008 Replacement series ID: 383693217

In 2023, cash accounted for 39.8 percent of payments from individual salary accounts of banks in Japan. Credit cards accounted for the largest share of cashless payments, at 20.7 percent. Overall, the share of cashless payments from salary accounts increased to 60.2 percent.

Adults with 100 thousand to one million U.S. dollars in wealth made up around 53 percent of the Japanese population in 2020, while the second largest share of people were worth between 10,000 and 100,000 dollars. Together, these groups accounted for approximately 86 percent of the population.

Wealth versus income

Wealth, as opposed to income, measures the ownership of assets in a society. Together with GDP, GDP per capita, and household disposable income, it helps to understand the economic well-being of households. Furthermore, the distribution of wealth gives an indication about the degree of equality in a society. Illustrated by its wealth distribution, Japan can be considered relatively equal compared to other countries.

Egalitarian corporate culture

In recent years, wealth inequality has become the subject of increasing focus among policymakers, academics and the general public. While several factors have contributed to the high equality in the country, it is safe to say that the egalitarian ethic in Japanese corporate culture is one of these reasons. This is reflected, for example, in the income structure; Japanese CEOs earn remarkably less than their counterparts in the United Kingdom or the United States. In a ranking of the average income of business leaders worldwide by country, Japan did not even make it into the list of the top ten countries.

NDI: NI: PI: PN: Receivable data was reported at 111.400 JPY bn in Mar 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 75.000 JPY bn for Dec 2014. NDI: NI: PI: PN: Receivable data is updated quarterly, averaging 122.400 JPY bn from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2015, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 325.800 JPY bn in Mar 1994 and a record low of 69.500 JPY bn in Jun 2013. NDI: NI: PI: PN: Receivable data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A075: SNA 93: Benchmark Year=2005: Distribution of National Income and National Disposable Income.

NDI: NI: PI: GG: Receivable data was reported at 2,244.300 JPY bn in Mar 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,219.300 JPY bn for Dec 2014. NDI: NI: PI: GG: Receivable data is updated quarterly, averaging 2,219.300 JPY bn from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2015, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,090.500 JPY bn in Dec 2007 and a record low of 1,307.400 JPY bn in Jun 2012. NDI: NI: PI: GG: Receivable data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A075: SNA 93: Benchmark Year=2005: Distribution of National Income and National Disposable Income.

In 2024, the income on inward foreign direct investment (FDI) from Europe to Japan amounted to over *** trillion Japanese yen. North America followed, with income from FDI amounting to around *** trillion yen.

NDI: NI: EI: Private Corporations data was reported at 17,229.700 JPY bn in Mar 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 9,105.700 JPY bn for Dec 2014. NDI: NI: EI: Private Corporations data is updated quarterly, averaging 10,440.900 JPY bn from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2015, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21,761.100 JPY bn in Mar 2004 and a record low of 2,592.100 JPY bn in Jun 1994. NDI: NI: EI: Private Corporations data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A075: SNA 1993: Benchmark Year=2005: Distribution of National Income and National Disposable Income.

NDI: NI: EI: Public Corporations: Financial Corporations data was reported at 777.600 JPY bn in Mar 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 779.100 JPY bn for Dec 2014. NDI: NI: EI: Public Corporations: Financial Corporations data is updated quarterly, averaging 725.700 JPY bn from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2015, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,732.700 JPY bn in Dec 2002 and a record low of -67.800 JPY bn in Dec 1994. NDI: NI: EI: Public Corporations: Financial Corporations data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A075: SNA 93: Benchmark Year=2005: Distribution of National Income and National Disposable Income.

More than half of the households of Ainu people in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, earned annual incomes of less than four million Japanese yen as of 2017. The average annual income in Hokkaido during the measured time period was approximately 4.2 million Japanese yen. Ainu people are indigenous peoples, who inhabit mainly around the area of Hokkaido. In the Ainu Promotion Act enacted in Japan in 2019, the race was acknowledged for the first time in the history as the indigenous peoples of Japan.

Japan GPI: YoY: PCE: Wages & Salaries data was reported at 4.300 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of -0.200 % for 2022. Japan GPI: YoY: PCE: Wages & Salaries data is updated yearly, averaging 0.900 % from Mar 2013 (Median) to 2023, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.300 % in 2023 and a record low of -1.500 % in 2020. Japan GPI: YoY: PCE: Wages & Salaries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics of Tokyo. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A114: SNA 2008: Benchmark year=2015: TM: Distribution of Prefectural Income & Disposable Income (at Current Prices).

NDI: OT: Net: Private Non Profit Institutions Serving Households data was reported at 1,950.700 JPY bn in Mar 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,009.800 JPY bn for Dec 2014. NDI: OT: Net: Private Non Profit Institutions Serving Households data is updated quarterly, averaging 1,608.600 JPY bn from Mar 1994 (Median) to Mar 2015, with 85 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,079.900 JPY bn in Sep 2014 and a record low of 1,210.700 JPY bn in Sep 2009. NDI: OT: Net: Private Non Profit Institutions Serving Households data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Economic and Social Research Institute. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.A075: SNA 93: Benchmark Year=2005: Distribution of National Income and National Disposable Income.