Photo: JurriaanH · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Japan: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Japan is placed 56th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 32.34 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 0.55 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
56th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Japan on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Japan’s is from 2020 · CC BY 4.0
32.34
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Japan: 32.34. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 31.42 Mongolia
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Japan’s is from 2020 · CC BY 4.0
0.55
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Japan: 0.55. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 0 China
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
13.2
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Japan: 13.2. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 3.8 Taiwan
02Over time
Which way Japan is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
JapanWorld median
Japan fell from 34.6 in 2008 to 32.34 in 2020; the world median went from 34.6 to 34.18.
Every year’s figures
Year Japan World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 — 34.04 2020 32.34 34.18 2019 32.99 33.51 2018 32.90 35.25 2017 31.79 34.86 2016 31.84 34.47 2015 30.70 35.52 2014 31.28 34.79 2013 31.53 36.16 2012 32.54 35.40 2011 32.98 33.96 2010 31.49 33.71 2009 32.98 34.91 2008 34.60 34.60 2007 — 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 — 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 — 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
JapanWorld median
Japan fell from 0.6 in 2008 to 0.55 in 2020; the world median went from 0.35 to 0.28.
Every year’s figures
Year Japan World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 — 0.335 2020 0.55 0.280 2019 0.61 0.380 2018 0.51 0.460 2017 0.30 0.300 2016 0.28 0.440 2015 0.16 0.500 2014 0.42 0.635 2013 0.49 0.515 2012 0.80 0.640 2011 0.21 0.430 2010 0.27 0.530 2009 0.47 0.600 2008 0.60 0.350 2007 — 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 — 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 — 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
JapanWorld median
Japan fell from 13.7 in 2017 to 13.2 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Japan World median 2025 13.2 26.40 2024 13.3 27.10 2023 13.3 27.15 2022 13.5 27.90 2021 14.2 29.65 2020 14.8 31.80 2019 16.1 29.05 2018 16.7 29.85 2017 13.7 32.40
03In context
Japan beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Japan and Eastern Asia
Japan has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Taiwan | =19th | 31.57 | 0.01 | 3.8 |
 South Koreacompare | 29th | 32.91 | 0.06 | 5.3 |
 Chinacompare | 39th | 36.05 | 0 | 11.3 |
 Mongolia | 48th | 31.42 | 0.08 | 29.8 |
| Japan | 56th | 32.34 | 0.55 | 13.2 |
 Hong Kong | not placed | — | — | — |
 Macau | not placed | — | — | — |
 North Korea | not placed | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Japan in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Japan is ahead of the world, and behind
12 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median10
Statistics on which Japan does better than the middle country measured.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.170.25No real change since 2014
Japan: 0.17 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.0150.413No real change since 2013
Japan: 0.015 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 172nd of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.8450.609No real change since 2013
Japan: 0.845 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 20th of 169 · derived.
Low Pay RateILO · 2024 · world median 17.8910.4717.89▲ Improved since 2014
Japan: 10.47 · world median 17.89 · Employees paid less than two-thirds of the median hourly earnings (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.395 to 41.69; lower is better.
Position 63rd of 71 · derived, 1st = worst.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.3060.446No earlier reading
Japan: 0.306 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 135th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.96.120.9▼ Worsened since 2015
Japan: 6.1 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 119th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80029,63712,800▼ Worsened since 2017
Japan: 29,637 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 29th of 173 · derived.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.058.47417.05▼ Worsened since 2013
Japan: 8.474 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 138th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.2521.2434.252No earlier reading
Japan: 1.243 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 116th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.10.962.1▼ Worsened since 2014
Japan: 0.96 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
No better end2
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.558.274.55No real change since 2017
Japan: 8.27 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.884.3636.88No earlier reading
Japan: 4.363 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
No current reading for Japan
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Gini Index (last 2020), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2021), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2020), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2020), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2020), Palma Ratio (last 2020), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2020), Poverty Headcount at National Poverty Lines, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2020), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2020), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2020), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2020), Prosperity Gap (last 2020), Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate (last 2020), Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Working Poverty Rate. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Japan’s 15 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Japan’s 13th best-placed topic of 15. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Work & Labour2nd of 1824/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation2nd of 1764/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture5th of 1842/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing7th of 2003/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 9th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutionsjoint 10th of 1944/4 keys
- Education & Knowledge13th of 1982/4 keys
- Peace & Security12th of 1774/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital18th of 1963/3 keys
- Mobility & Trade25th of 1774/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties28th of 1984/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience55th of 1934/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality56th of 1593/3 keys
- Gender & Equalityjoint 116th of 1834/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability161st of 1864/4 keys
No standing on Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Japan can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
United Arab Emirates=3rd3/3 keysHighest in Eastern Asia
Taiwan=19th3/3 keysThis page
Japan56th3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Japan on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Japan rank on poverty & inequality?
Japan is placed 56th of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Japan?
32.34 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Japan?
0.55 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How have Japan’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 34.6 in 2008 to 32.34 in 2020; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 0.6 in 2008 to 0.55 in 2020; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 13.7 in 2017 to 13.2 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Japan?
No current reading is published for Japan on Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount at National Poverty Lines, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate, Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Working Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 12 statistics on this page come from 5 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Japan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Japan (banner) — JurriaanH, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Japan: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/japan/poverty