Japan’s Nursing Care Expenditure Reaches Record ¥12 Trillion

Rising Costs

Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare statistics for fiscal 2025 show that the cost of nursing care for certified recipients in Japan, including insurance benefits and out-of-pocket expenses, rose by ¥262.7 billion year on year to ¥11.9 trillion. Preventive care for less serious conditions increased by ¥19.9 billion to ¥340.1 billion, lifting overall spending by ¥282.6 billion year on year to a record ¥12.2 trillion.

The average cost per care recipient (as of April 2026) was ¥208,400 for nursing care and ¥28,600 for preventative care.

The ministry has conducted the survey since fiscal 2001 following the introduction of a nursing care insurance system. Total spending in fiscal 2025 was nearly three times more than the ¥4.4 trillion initially reached in fiscal 2001. By prefecture, Tottori had the highest average expenditure at ¥233,600, followed by ¥222,400 in Fukui and ¥221,900 in Niigata.

Nursing Care Recipients Also Rising

In fiscal 2025, the total number of recipients of nursing care increased year on year by 48,400 to 5,779,500, a rise of 0.8%, while the total number of recipients of preventive care increased by 57,300 (4.4%) to 1,361,200.

The number of certified recipients of nursing care or other support in April 2026 was 7.6 million, while the number receiving services totaled 5.9 million for the same month. The majority were women at 4.0 million as compared to 1.8 million men.

Data Sources

• Data on nursing care payments in fiscal 2025 (Japanese) from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)