Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Japan
Japan: Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita was 72.7% in 2012. ▲ Rising
Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Japan, 1872–2012
Source: Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Japan is 72.7%, measured in 2012. That is the highest value across all 69 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Japan peaked at 72.7% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 10.2%, in 1872.
That places Japan 9th out of 44 countries with data for 2012, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 69 years of available data.
Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita in Japan, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1872 | 10.2% | — |
| 1880 | 11.1% | +8.8% |
| 1890 | 13.5% | +21.6% |
| 1900 | 16.2% | +20.0% |
| 1910 | 19.3% | +19.1% |
| 1920 | 24.3% | +25.9% |
| 1930 | 28.1% | +15.6% |
| 1940 | 27.3% | -2.8% |
| 1950 | 29.1% | +6.6% |
| 1953 | 34.9% | +19.9% |
| 1954 | 36.2% | +3.7% |
| 1955 | 37.0% | +2.2% |
| 1956 | 37.8% | +2.2% |
| 1957 | 38.2% | +1.1% |
| 1958 | 39.2% | +2.6% |
| 1959 | 40.0% | +2.0% |
| 1960 | 40.4% | +1.0% |
| 1961 | 40.9% | +1.2% |
| 1962 | 41.6% | +1.7% |
| 1963 | 43.2% | +3.8% |
| 1964 | 44.3% | +2.5% |
| 1965 | 45.3% | +2.3% |
| 1966 | 46.4% | +2.4% |
| 1967 | 46.6% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 47.3% | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 47.8% | +1.1% |
| 1970 | 48.6% | +1.7% |
| 1971 | 49.8% | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 50.6% | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 51.0% | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 51.8% | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 53.2% | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 53.8% | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 54.5% | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 54.9% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | 55.6% | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 56.0% | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 56.6% | +1.1% |
| 1982 | 57.3% | +1.2% |
| 1983 | 57.8% | +0.9% |
| 1984 | 58.1% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 58.2% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 58.6% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 59.2% | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 59.0% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 58.8% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 59.1% | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 59.2% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 59.5% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 60.4% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 61.1% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 61.9% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 62.5% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 63.0% | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 64.1% | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 64.7% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 65.3% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 66.2% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 67.2% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 67.7% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 68.5% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 69.0% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 69.2% | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 69.3% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 70.2% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 71.3% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 72.0% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 72.4% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 72.7% | +0.4% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 72.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 72.1%, 1.0× the median. (17 countries reporting)
- Japan's 72.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 60.6%, 1.2× the median. (9 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | +25.9% | 19.3% | 24.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 10.2% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 1 |
| 1880s | 11.1% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 1 |
| 1890s | 13.5% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 1 |
| 1900s | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 19.3% | 19.3% | 19.3% | 1 |
| 1920s | 24.3% | 24.3% | 24.3% | 1 |
| 1930s | 28.1% | 28.1% | 28.1% | 1 |
| 1940s | 27.3% | 27.3% | 27.3% | 1 |
| 1950s | 36.5% | 29.1% | 40.0% | 8 |
| 1960s | 44.4% | 40.4% | 47.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 52.4% | 48.6% | 55.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.0% | 56.0% | 59.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 61.5% | 59.1% | 64.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.4% | 65.3% | 71.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.4% | 72.0% | 72.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More work & labour data for Japan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4984 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5262 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4728 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.25 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.4618 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 103,039 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,756 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 39,867 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 36,979 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 76,846 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Japan?
- Share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita in Japan was 72.7% in 2012, according to Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 72.7% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.2% in 1872.
- How does Japan rank for share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita?
- Japan ranks 9th out of 44 countries with data for 2012.
- Is share of workers employed in services vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Herrendorf et al. and Groningen Growth and Development Centre (2015) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers employed in services vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 69 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The vertical axis shows historical estimates of the employment share in the service sector. The horizontal axis shows GDP per capita, adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.