This study examines trends in earnings, income and wealth inequality among households in Japan from 1984 to 2019. Our findings reveal that inequality in all three domains has increased over the last decades, but due to different underlying factors. The rise in earnings and income inequality is primarily driven by demographic aging, with an increasing proportion of elderly households who typically exhibit higher inequality levels. The growth in wealth inequality is evident not only in the overall population but is particularly pronounced among the young. This trend is largely attributed to a significant rise in the number of households that possess extremely low wealth. Key factors contributing to inequality trends in Japan include aging demographics, shifts in household structure, and major macroeconomic developments such as the financial bubble period and the prolonged economic slow-down that followed.
Mar 12, 2025
Presented at the FFJ-Banque de France workshop.
Dec 2, 2024
Work in progress.
Sep 16, 2023
Work in progress.
Jun 18, 2021
Discussion paper available.
May 1, 2019
Work in progress.
Nov 30, 2014