Gender pay gap in Japan — by age, industry, and occupation
Female annual income as a percentage of male annual income across Japan, segmented by age band, industry, and occupation. Source: Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
National female-to-male ratio
70.2%
Weighted average across all workers (all ages, all sectors)
Age 30-34
79.0%
Male ¥5,046,000 vs Female ¥3,987,000
Gap from parity
29.8pp
How far below 100% (parity) the average sits
Female/Male income ratio by age band
| Age band | Female % | Male annual | Female annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~19 | 95.3% | ¥2,676,000 | ¥2,550,000 |
| 20-24 | 90.6% | ¥3,516,000 | ¥3,184,000 |
| 25-29 | 86.8% | ¥4,397,000 | ¥3,816,000 |
| 30-34 | 79.0% | ¥5,046,000 | ¥3,987,000 |
| 35-39 | 73.4% | ¥5,649,000 | ¥4,144,000 |
| 40-44 | 69.4% | ¥6,138,000 | ¥4,257,000 |
| 45-49 | 67.3% | ¥6,519,000 | ¥4,386,000 |
| 50-54 | 64.5% | ¥6,860,000 | ¥4,424,000 |
| 55-59 | 62.1% | ¥6,994,000 | ¥4,340,000 |
| 60-64 | 69.9% | ¥5,119,000 | ¥3,580,000 |
| 65~ | 75.4% | ¥3,967,000 | ¥2,993,000 |
The gap typically widens with age — career interruptions, role progression differences, and seniority pay all compound over time.
By industry — ranked by smallest gap (most equal first)
| # | Industry | Female / Male | Gap (pp below 100%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mining and quarrying | 80.7% | 19.3 pp |
| 2 | Electricity, gas, heat supply and water | 79.9% | 20.1 pp |
| 3 | Medical, healthcare and welfare | 76.5% | 23.5 pp |
| 4 | Information and communications | 75.7% | 24.3 pp |
| 5 | Transport and postal services | 75.6% | 24.4 pp |
| 6 | Accommodation and food services | 73.5% | 26.5 pp |
| 7 | Compound services | 73.1% | 26.9 pp |
| 8 | Construction | 72.2% | 27.8 pp |
| 9 | Services (other) | 71.9% | 28.1 pp |
| 10 | Personal services and entertainment | 71.5% | 28.5 pp |
| 11 | Education and learning support | 70.4% | 29.6 pp |
| 12 | Real estate and goods rental and leasing | 70.2% | 29.8 pp |
| 13 | Scientific research, professional services | 69.4% | 30.6 pp |
| 14 | Wholesale and retail trade | 66.9% | 33.1 pp |
| 15 | Manufacturing | 62.5% | 37.5 pp |
| 16 | Finance and insurance | 57.9% | 42.1 pp |
Industries with strong public-sector presence (education, health) typically show smaller gaps; private-sector trade/finance show larger.
By occupation — ranked by smallest gap
| # | Occupation | Female / Male | Gap (pp below 100%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Managers | 86.1% | 13.9 pp |
| 2 | Transport and machine operators | 83.3% | 16.7 pp |
| 3 | Protective service workers | 83.1% | 16.9 pp |
| 4 | Service workers | 82.1% | 17.9 pp |
| 5 | Construction and mining workers | 77.4% | 22.6 pp |
| 6 | Professionals and technicians | 72.6% | 27.4 pp |
| 7 | Agriculture, forestry and fishery workers | 70.1% | 29.9 pp |
| 8 | Clerical support workers | 69.3% | 30.7 pp |
| 9 | Carrying, cleaning and packaging workers | 67.7% | 32.3 pp |
| 10 | Sales workers | 65.0% | 35.0 pp |
| 11 | Production process workers | 62.8% | 37.2 pp |