Column 　Finance and the Social Security System 　2018.03.19

【Aging, safety net and fiscal crisis in Japan】No.67: Household Income and Expenditures

In this column series, Yukihiro Matsuyama, Research Director at CIGS introduces the latest information about aging, safety net and fiscal crisis in Japan with data of international comparison.
Aging Society&Others
Yukihiro MATSUYAMA
Yukihiro MATSUYAMA
Research Director

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications collects survey data on households and their main characteristics. Table 1 shows an excerpt summarizing the main data points. The total number of households includes working and non-working households, individual business owners, corporate directors, and freelance workers, to name a few.

Comparing the 2009 and 2016 data, the following conclusions are evident.

  • # The annual average income has decreased by 4.3%.
  • # Food, information and telecommunication expenses, and electricity bills have increased by 10% while monthly consumption expenditures have decreased by 4.5%.
  • # The Engel coefficient, which is the ratio of food expenditures to total consumption expenditures, has risen.
  • # Health and medical expenses have not declined despite the fall in income.


    • Table 1 Average profile of a household

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    （Source）Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications