Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in Japan
Japan: Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers was 40.38 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
40.38 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
16th
of 23 countries
All-time high
40.67 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees
in 2024
All-time low
24.75 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees
in 1975
Years of data
51
1975–2025
Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in Japan, 1975–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of average wage of full-time employees.
Analysis
The most recent figure for minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in Japan is 40.38 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in Japan peaked at 40.67 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 2024 and was at its lowest, 24.75 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees, in 1975.
Japan ranks 16th of 23 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in Japan, year by year
| Year | Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 24.75 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | — |
| 1976 | 25.74 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +4.0% |
| 1977 | 25.67 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 26.52 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 27.19 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.5% |
| 1980 | 26.82 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 26.82 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 27.16 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 27.79 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 27.99 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 27.27 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 27.44 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 27.62 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 27.49 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 26.89 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 26.24 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 25.51 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 25.76 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 25.53 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 26.28 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +3.0% |
| 1995 | 26.87 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 26.93 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 26.9 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 27.37 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 28.07 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.5% |
| 2000 | 28.39 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 28.31 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 28.63 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 29.17 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 29.55 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 29.31 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 29.65 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 29.77 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 30.36 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 31.55 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +3.9% |
| 2010 | 32.63 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 33.3 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 33.3 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 33.92 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 34.15 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 33.86 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 34.6 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 35.79 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 36.23 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 36.24 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 38.83 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 38.93 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 39.78 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 40.49 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 40.67 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 40.38 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | -0.7% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 40.38 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees is below the median for high income countries, which is 42.96 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees, 94% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 25.97 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 24.75 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 27.19 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 5 |
| 1980s | 27.33 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 26.82 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 27.99 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 26.55 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 25.51 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 28.07 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.47 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 28.31 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 31.55 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.4 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 32.63 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 36.24 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 39.85 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 38.83 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 40.67 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 13 Canada 42.96 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees compare
- 14 Belgium 42.94 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees compare
- 15 Portugal 42.64 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees compare
- 17 Greece 40.18 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees compare
- 18 Czechia 39.85 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees compare
- 19 Israel 39.68 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees compare
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 minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in Japan?
- Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers in Japan was 40.38 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 40.67 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 2024.
- What is the lowest minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.75 Percentage of average wage of full-time employees in 1975.
- How does Japan rank for minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers?
- Japan ranks 16th out of 23 countries with data for 2025.
- Is minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Minimum relative to average wages of full-time workers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
For cross-country comparisons, data on minimum wage levels are further supplemented with another measure of minimum wages relative to average wages, that is, the ratio of minimum wages to median earnings of full-time employees. Median rather than mean earnings provide a better basis for international comparisons as it accounts for differences in earnings dispersion across countries. However, while median of basic earnings of full-time workers - i.e. excluding overtime and bonus payments - are ideally, the preferred measure of average wages for international comparisons of minimum-to-median earnings, they are not available for a large number of countries. Minimum relative to mean earnings of full-time workers are also provided.