Wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan
Japan: Wealth share of the richest 1% was 24.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan, 1820–2024
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan stood at 24.6%.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan peaked at 46.1% in 1920 and was at its lowest, 21.8%, in 1950.
That places Japan 155th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.
Wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 33.4% | — |
| 1850 | 34.2% | +2.4% |
| 1880 | 35.6% | +4.2% |
| 1900 | 40.3% | +13.1% |
| 1910 | 46.1% | +14.5% |
| 1920 | 46.1% | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 45.9% | -0.4% |
| 1940 | 38.2% | -16.8% |
| 1950 | 21.8% | -43.1% |
| 1960 | 22.5% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 23.7% | +5.4% |
| 1980 | 22.7% | -4.4% |
| 1981 | 22.5% | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 22.5% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 22.6% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 22.7% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 22.9% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 23.1% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 23.4% | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 24.7% | +5.4% |
| 1989 | 24.6% | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 24.9% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 24.5% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 23.3% | -4.9% |
| 1993 | 23.2% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 23.2% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 23.2% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 23.6% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 23.3% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 23.4% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 23.6% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 23.9% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 23.9% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 24.2% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 24.4% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 24.7% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 24.8% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 24.8% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 24.9% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 24.6% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 24.3% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 24.5% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 24.4% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 24.5% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 24.5% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 24.5% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 24.5% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 24.5% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 24.5% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 24.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 24.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 24.5% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 24.6% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 24.5% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 24.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 24.6% | +0.5% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 24.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 27.5%, 90% of the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Japan's 24.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 27.2%, 91% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | -43.1% | 38.2% | 21.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 33.4% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 1 |
| 1850s | 34.2% | 34.2% | 34.2% | 1 |
| 1880s | 35.6% | 35.6% | 35.6% | 1 |
| 1900s | 40.3% | 40.3% | 40.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | 1 |
| 1920s | 46.1% | 46.1% | 46.1% | 1 |
| 1930s | 45.9% | 45.9% | 45.9% | 1 |
| 1940s | 38.2% | 38.2% | 38.2% | 1 |
| 1950s | 21.8% | 21.8% | 21.8% | 1 |
| 1960s | 22.5% | 22.5% | 22.5% | 1 |
| 1970s | 23.7% | 23.7% | 23.7% | 1 |
| 1980s | 23.2% | 22.5% | 24.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.6% | 23.2% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.4% | 23.9% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.5% | 24.4% | 24.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.5% | 24.5% | 24.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.981 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan?
- Wealth share of the richest 1% in Japan was 24.6% in 2024, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 46.1% in 1920.
- What is the lowest wealth share of the richest 1% recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.8% in 1950.
- How does Japan rank for wealth share of the richest 1%?
- Japan ranks 155th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is wealth share of the richest 1% rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Wealth share of the richest 1%. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of wealth owned by the richest 1% of the population. Wealth is defined as the total value of non-financial and financial assets (housing, land, deposits, bonds, equities, etc.) held by households, minus their debts.