This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee (EDRC) of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.

The economic situation and policies of Japan were reviewed by the Committee on 13 March 2017. The draft report was then revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 29 March 2017.

The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by Randall S. Jones, Kohei Fukawa and Yosuke Jin under the supervision of Vincent Koen. Research assistance was provided by Lutécia Daniel. Secretarial assistance was provided by Mercedes Burgos and Sisse Nielsen.

The previous Survey of Japan was issued in April 2015.

Information about the latest as well as previous Surveys and more information about how Surveys are prepared is available at www.oecd.org/eco/surveys.

BASIC STATISTICS OF JAPAN, 2015
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)*

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million)

127.0

Population density per km2

340.3

(37.0)

 Under 15 (%)

12.5

(18.0)

Life expectancy (years, 2014)

83.7

(80.6)

 Over 65 (%)

26.8

(16.3)

 Men

80.5

(77.9)

 Foreign (%, 2014)

1.7

 Women

86.8

(83.3)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

-0.2

(0.6)

Latest general election

December 2014

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Value added shares (%)

 In current prices (billion USD)

4 125

 Primary sector

1.2

(2.5)

 In current prices (billion YEN)

5 305

 Industry including construction

26.8

(26.9)

 Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

1.0

(1.9)

 Services

72.0

(70.6)

Per capita (000 USD PPP)

38.4

(40.8)

GENERAL GOVERNMENT

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure

38.9

(40.5)

Gross financial debt

215.9

(114.0)

Revenue

35.4

(37.9)

Net financial debt

118.4

(72.7)

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

Exchange rate (YEN per USD)

121

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)

103

 Machinery and transport equipment

58.7

In per cent of GDP

 Manufactured goods

12.4

 Exports of goods and services

17.6

(54.8)

 Chemicals and related products, not elsewhere specified

10.1

 Imports of goods and services

18.0

(50.2)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

 Current account balance

3.1

(0.2)

 Machinery and transport equipment

28.2

 Net international investment position (2014)

66.2

 Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials

20.5

 Miscellaneous manufactured articles

14.4

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

73.4

(66.2)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)

3.4

(6.8)

 Men

81.9

(74.1)

 Youth (age 15-24, %)

5.6

(13.9)

 Women

64.7

(58.5)

 Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)

1.2

(2.2)

Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

75.9

(71.3)

Tertiary educational attainment 25-64 year-olds (%)

49.5

(35.0)

Average hours worked per year

1 719

(1 766)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)

3.3

(2.4)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe)

3.4

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2014)

9.4

(9.4)

 Renewables (%)

5.3

(9.6)

Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m3, 2011)

0.6

Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2013)

91.5

(72.3)

Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2013)

0.4

(0.5)

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2012)

0.330

(0.309)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

Relative poverty rate (%, 2012)

16.1

(11.1)

 Reading

516

(493)

Median disposable household income (000 USD PPP, 2012)

22.0

(21.0)

 Mathematics

532

(490)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

 Science

538

(493)

 Health care

10.5

(9.0)

Share of women in parliament (%)

9.5

(28.6)

 Pensions (2013)

12.3

(9.1)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI)

0.21

(0.37)

 Education (primary, secondary, post sec. non tertiary, 2013)

2.9

(3.7)

Better life index: www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

← * Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union.