Number of commercial farm households Japan 2015-2023

In 2023, the number of commercial farm households operating in the agricultural sector in Japan amounted to around 1.03 million. The figure decreased continuously since 2015, when the number of commercial farm households stood at around 1.33 million. 

 Japan's agricultural work force is shrinking

Japan's aging population and the low birth rate have produced a labor shortage in many industries. As the age of people who work in the farming industry increased significantly over the past decades, the overall number of people engaged in farming keeps declining. The farming industry is further dominated by male farmers, while female farmers represent a minority.

 Farming industry in Japan

Even though only about 20 percent of the mountainous archipelago is suitable for cultivation, the Japanese farmland is highly cultivated. Vegetables and rice generate the highest output within the farming industry, while livestock farming only plays a minor role. As Japan's self-sufficiency ratio remains low, the country is dependent on agricultural imports to feed the nation.