Fiatmap

Cost of moneyJapan

Real policy rate in Japan

Does money at the central bank’s rate actually beat inflation?

Japan's real policy rate is -2.17 % — #52 of 53 countries on the atlas (higher is better). Period 2026-08.

-2.17%

Checked 8 Sept 2026Period 2026-08

Source: Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components)

Negative: cash in Japan loses 2.2 pp of purchasing power a year even in the bank.

Among 53 countries

2 of 53 countries between -2.17 % and -1.86 %1 of 53 countries between -1.86 % and -1.55 %3 of 53 countries between -1.55 % and -1.24 %1 of 53 countries between -1.24 % and -0.93 %1 of 53 countries between -0.93 % and -0.62 %3 of 53 countries between -0.62 % and -0.31 %10 of 53 countries between -0.31 % and 0.00 %4 of 53 countries between 0.00 % and 0.31 %1 of 53 countries between 0.31 % and 0.62 %3 of 53 countries between 0.62 % and 0.93 %4 of 53 countries between 0.93 % and 1.24 %6 of 53 countries between 1.24 % and 1.56 %3 of 53 countries between 1.87 % and 2.18 %3 of 53 countries between 2.49 % and 2.80 %2 of 53 countries between 2.80 % and 3.11 %1 of 53 countries between 3.11 % and 3.42 %2 of 53 countries between 3.73 % and 4.04 %3 of 53 countries between 4.97 % and 5.28 %median 0.63 %Japan: ahead of 2 % of the 53 countries with a published real policy rateJapan -2.17 %-2.17 %5.28 %
Half of all 53 countries sit between -0.15 % and 1.91 %. Japan is ahead of 2 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 3 values beyond it sit in the end bars.
Rank
#52 of 53
higher is better
Ranked behind
2 %
1 of 53 countries

In Asia: #12 of 12vs median 0.63 %: −2.80 pp (worse)

The neighbourhood

#CountryReal policy ratevs Japan
49 Latvia-1.50 %+0.67 pp
50 Lithuania-1.54 %+0.63 pp
51 Slovakia-1.75 %+0.42 pp
52 Japan-2.17 %—
53 Estonia-2.58 %−0.41 pp

Policy rate minus annual CPI inflation — positive means money in the bank beats inflation. Our calculation from separately sourced components.

How to read this figure

Our own calculation: the central bank policy rate minus annual CPI inflation. It answers one question — does parked money beat rising prices? Both components are separately sourced official figures, and we never compute it when either leg is missing.

Next, about Japan

Inflation rate
Real policy rate, all countries ranked →Compare Japan with another country →Everything about Japan →Methodology →
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