JPY
Japan
Japan's top income tax is 55.95 %, the highest of 37. And its government debt is 204.80 %, the highest of 125.
Of 23 fields published for Japan, these two sit furthest from the middle of the atlas.
Is it expensive, or does the pay keep up?
Price level
65 % of US prices
Average monthly salary
$2,809 PPP/mo
The average employee in Japan earns about $2,809 a month before tax, measured in dollars adjusted for what they buy locally.
Average annual salary
$50,183 PPP
Money's value
87.00 %
100 saved in Japan in 2000 buys what 87 buys today — 13 % of its purchasing power is gone.
What is left after the state takes its share?
Tax on pay
22.65 %
Of every $100 of gross pay at the average wage in Japan, about $23 goes to income tax and employee social contributions.
Average monthly salary
$2,809 PPP/mo
The average employee in Japan earns about $2,809 a month before tax, measured in dollars adjusted for what they buy locally.
Take-home pay
$38,818 PPP
The average job in Japan pays about $38,818 a year (PPP) after income tax and the employee's social contributions.
Minimum wage
$1,839 PPP/mo
The law in Japan sets the floor at about $1,839 a month, measured in dollars adjusted for what they buy locally.
What does borrowing actually cost here?
House price growth
2.43 %
Real house prices in Japan rose 2.4 % over the past year — beyond general inflation.
Does money in the bank keep its value?
Inflation rate
3.17 %
At 3.2 % a year, prices double in about 23 years if it holds.
Debt per person
$73,628
the 3rd highest of 124
Minimum wage
$1,839 PPP/mo
ranked 10th of 90
Public holidays
16 days
ranked 12th of 104
Where Japan sits, field by field
Each dot is Japan’s position among every country that publishes that field. Sorted by distance from the middle, so what is unusual about the country comes first.
- Top income tax55.95 %37 of 37
- Government debt204.80 %125 of 125
- Money's value87.00 %2 of 116
- Debt per person$73,628122 of 124
- Real policy rate-1.92 %52 of 53
- Unemployment rate2.45 %13 of 124
- Minimum wage$1,839 PPP/mo10 of 90
- Public holidays16 days12 of 104
- Price level65 % of US prices96 of 125
- GDP growth1.19 %97 of 127
- GDP per capita$35,95133 of 127
- Tax on pay22.65 %11 of 37
- Median income$23,208 PPP30 of 42
- Inflation rate3.17 %41 of 126
- Average annual salary$50,183 PPP25 of 37
- Tax wedge33.12 %13 of 36
- Take-home pay$38,818 PPP24 of 37
- Retirement age (women)65 years31 of 49
- Average monthly salary$2,809 PPP/mo36 of 93
- Corporate tax23.20 %57 of 96
- Retirement age (men)65 years21 of 49
- House price growth2.43 %28 of 54
- Currency-2.73 %36 of 71
- Cost of money
- Work & income
- Housing & living
- Macro
The money journey · average earner
Financially nearest · computed, not curated
Portugal
avg gap 18.6 pp · 22 shared fields
Most separates them: unemployment — 2.45 % (Japan) vs 6.16 %
Israel
avg gap 20.2 pp · 22 shared fields
Most separates them: currency — -2.73 % (Japan) vs 6.38 %
Poland
avg gap 20.7 pp · 23 shared fields
Most separates them: top income tax — 55.95 % (Japan) vs 32.00 %
Greece
avg gap 21.5 pp · 22 shared fields
Most separates them: unemployment — 2.45 % (Japan) vs 8.54 %
| Price level | 65 % of US prices | ranked 96th of 125 | |
| GDP growth | 1.19 % | ranked 97th of 127 | |
| GDP per capita | $35,951 | ranked 33rd of 127 | |
| Tax on pay | 22.65 % | ranked 11th of 37 | |
| Median income | $23,208 PPP | ranked 30th of 42 | |
| Inflation rate | 3.17 % | ranked 41st of 126 | |
| Average annual salary | $50,183 PPP | ranked 25th of 37 | |
| Tax wedge | 33.12 % | ranked 13th of 36 | |
| Take-home pay | $38,818 PPP | ranked 24th of 37 | |
| Retirement age (women) | 65 years | ranked 31st of 49 | |
| Average monthly salary | $2,809 PPP/mo | ranked 36th of 93 | |
| Corporate tax | 23.20 % | ranked 57th of 96 | |
| Retirement age (men) | 65 years | ranked 21st of 49 | |
| House price growth | 2.43 % | ranked 28th of 54 | |
| Currency | -2.73 % | ranked 36th of 71 |
✓ 23 fields published for Japan, every one dated and sourced · 12 not published yet
Awaiting an official source for Japan: mortgage rate, lending rate, deposit rate, savings vs inflation, bank spread, house price growth since 2015, rent, petrol, electricity, minimum wage, median earnings, vat.
Sources for all 23 figures
- Top income tax — OECD Personal Income Tax rates · 2025
- Government debt — IMF World Economic Outlook (general government gross debt, % of GDP) · 2025
- Money's value — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- Debt per person — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- Real policy rate — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2026-09
- Unemployment rate — World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt) · 2025
- Minimum wage — ILO monthly earnings of employees (EAR_EMTA mean + EAR_EMTM median) · 2024
- Public holidays — Public holiday calendar (Nager.Date) · 2026
- Price level — World Bank PPP conversion factor ÷ official exchange rate (PA.NUS.PPP, PA.NUS.FCRF) · 2025
- GDP growth — World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt) · 2025
- GDP per capita — World Bank open data (GDP growth, GDP/capita, unemployment, government debt) · 2025
- Tax on pay — OECD Taxing Wages + OECD Tax Database · 2025
- Median income — OECD Income Distribution Database · 2021
- Inflation rate — Annual CPI inflation (shared satsatlas data engine: World Bank + Eurostat + SSB) · 2025
- Average annual salary — OECD Average annual wages · 2025
- Tax wedge — OECD Taxing Wages + OECD Tax Database · 2025
- Take-home pay — Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components) · 2025
- Retirement age (women) — OECD Pensions at a Glance — current normal retirement age (DF_DPS, CRPLF22) · 2024
- Average monthly salary — ILO monthly earnings of employees (EAR_EMTA mean + EAR_EMTM median) · 2021
- Corporate tax — OECD Corporate Tax Statistics · 2026
- Retirement age (men) — OECD Pensions at a Glance — current normal retirement age (DF_DPS, CRPLF22) · 2024
- House price growth — BIS residential property prices · 2025-Q4
- Currency — Currency strength vs USD (own calculation from ECB reference-rate snapshots) · 2026-10-23
What changed
| 24 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.97 → -2.73 |
| 23 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.92 → -3.97 |
| 22 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.85 → -3.92 |
| 21 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.74 → -4.85 |
| 20 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.8 → -4.74 |
| 19 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.79 → -4.8 |
| 18 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.31 → -4.79 |
| 17 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.27 → -4.31 |
| 16 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.92 → -4.27 |
| 15 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.06 → -3.92 |
| 14 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.6 → -4.06 |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.63 → -3.6 |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Government debt per person (USD) | 74239 → 73628 |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Government debt (% of GDP) | 206.5 → 204.8 |
| 11 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.32 → -3.63 |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -3.42 → -3.32 |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Real interest rate (policy − CPI) | -2.17 → -1.92 |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Policy rate | 1 → 1.25 |
| 9 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -4.58 → -3.42 |
| 8 Oct 2026 | Currency vs USD (1y) | -5.03 → -4.58 |