Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Japan
Japan: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 15.4% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Japan, 2008–2020
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Japan is 15.4%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Japan peaked at 17.1% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 12.4%, in 2014.
Japan ranks 86th of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Japan, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 17.1% | — |
| 2009 | 15.3% | -10.5% |
| 2010 | 14.5% | -5.2% |
| 2011 | 15.5% | +6.9% |
| 2012 | 14.4% | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 14.5% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 12.4% | -14.5% |
| 2015 | 13.1% | +5.6% |
| 2016 | 14.4% | +9.9% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 16.0% | +15.9% |
| 2019 | 15.3% | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 15.4% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.2% | 15.3% | 17.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 12.4% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More poverty & inequality data for Japan
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 5 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.21 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,245 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -1.18 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.86 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.9% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Japan?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Japan was 15.4% in 2020, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 2008.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.4% in 2014.
- How does Japan rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Japan ranks 86th out of 123 countries with data for 2020.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.