In a previous article, the author talked to you about the population and wage income in South Korea. In 2021, Guangdong's total GDP has surpassed that of South Korea. But there is still a certain gap between the per capita level and South Korea, because the total population of Guangdong Province is more than twice that of South Korea. Today, the author talks to you about The population and wage income level of Japan. The total population of Japan is basically the same as that of Guangdong Province, so how much is the monthly salary of ordinary people in Japan? Today, we're going to talk about that.
First, let's talk about the basic situation in Japan. Japan is an East Asian country and one of the world's major developed countries. Currently, the total population of Japan is 126 million. According to the figures of the Seven Census in 2020, the total population of Guangdong Province on the mainland is also around 126 million. The total population of Guangdong Province is basically the same as that of Japan, and in 2021, the total GDP of Guangdong Province on the mainland will be about 1.93 trillion yuan after it is equivalent to US dollars. At present, Japan has not released its own GDP data for 2021.
However, according to previous news, Japan's total GDP will be close to $5 trillion in 2021 (professionals predict about 4.93 trillion). In terms of total GDP, it is more than twice that of Guangdong Province. Of course, the impact of successive epidemics on the Japanese economy is very large. Compared with 2020, Japan's economy shrank in 2021. At present, Japan's total GDP ranks third in the world.
In 2010, for the first time, the continent's total GDP surpassed That of Japan to become the second largest in the world. After 12 years, the gap between the two sides has gradually widened. In 2021, the continent's total GDP will be more than three times that of Japan's total GDP. Of course, due to the large population of the mainland, there is still a long way to go in terms of PER capita GDP. Japan's economic development has undergone several stages of change, with several rounds of ups and downs. It wasn't until the 1970s that it basically stabilized.
In ancient Japan, he experienced the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sengoku Period. The establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate began, and Japan continued to be closed for hundreds of years. Successive Japanese shoguns have issued strict national lockdown orders six times, strictly prohibiting trade between various places and the outside world. In the mid-19th century, the Western powers began to infiltrate the countries of East Asia, and Japan could not be left alone. In the 1860s, beginning with the seizure of the U.S. Perry Fleet, Japan had to sign various unequal treaties with the Western powers.
According to the situation at that time, Japan was in danger of becoming a semi-colony. However, Japan's response has been very fast. The fall of the curtain broke out within Japan, which quickly overthrew the Rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the last shogun, Tokugawa Keiki, stepped down, and the young Meiji Emperor Daimyo was returned. Subsequently, Japan began the famous Meiji Restoration. Japan has learned from the Western powers in a series of fields such as culture, economy, and military. Over the course of several decades, Japan has risen rapidly to become an Asian power.
In the process of Japan's rise, it defeated the Qing Dynasty and Tsarist Russia successively. After World War I, Japan rose to become a world power. At that year's Washington conference, Japan had been ambitious. In the mid-to-late 1930s, Japan formed an Axis alliance with Germany and Italy. In World War II, Japan occupied large areas of East and Southeast Asia. At the same time, it has also been hit by a joint attack by various countries. As of now, Japan is the only country in the world that has suffered a nuclear strike.
In 1945, two atomic bombs hit the Japanese mainland. In August 1945, Japan surrendered in defeat. From the 1940s to the 1950s, under the management and control of the United States, Japan's economic development was not very fast. After entering the mid-1950s, the Eastern Bloc, led by the Soviet Union, made the United States very afraid. In order to contain the Soviet Union, the United States had to vigorously support Japan. Japan does not lack technology and labor, but lacks the necessary funds and external environment. The United States gradually loosened its grip on Japan and provided a large number of loans.
After entering the 1960s, the Japanese economy entered a stage of rapid development. In the 1980s, Japan's total economic output surpassed the Soviet Union and West Germany, ranking second in the world, and this ranking continued until 2010. In the mid-1980s, at its peak, Japan's gdp was approaching about 70 percent of the United States. Of course, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Japan's economic development trend took a sharp turn for the worse, and there was a "lost 20 years." ”
Next, let's look at the wage level in Japan. In July 2021, Japan announced a new minimum wage standard, and Japan adopted the method of hourly wage. Because the economic development of various parts of Japan is uneven, the standard of hourly wages is completely different from region to region. Among them, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has the highest level, with 1,041 yen per hour. At the current exchange rate, it is equivalent to 57.2 yuan. Seven prefectures, including Akita and Okinawa, have the lowest minimum wage, at 820 yen per hour, or 45.1 yuan.
In February 2022, Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced the average monthly wage level in Japan for 2021. According to figures released by Japan, in 2021, the average monthly salary of Japanese people will be 319528 yen, equivalent to about 17,500 yuan. Due to the impact of the epidemic, the average wage in Japan has still not returned to the level of 2019.
However, the average wage level announced by Japan is slightly higher, because after averaging many high-income people, there will naturally be a high wage level. According to the structure of the joint statistics of several Japanese statistical agencies, all the labor force in Japan. About 20 percent of the labor force earns less than 3 million yen a year, or 165,000 yuan. On average, it is about 250,000 yen per month, which is far lower than the average wage level in Japan. These people basically live in small and medium-sized cities in Japan, and the work difficulty is relatively low.
There are still about 20% of the labor force, and the annual income is more than 8 million Japanese, equivalent to about 440,000 yuan. This income group belongs to the high-income group in Japan, such as lawyers, doctors, managers of large consortia, and so on. The annual income of 8 million is only the beginning, and the annual income of some people is even more than 20 million yen, equivalent to more than 1.1 million yuan. There are also nearly 60% of the group, belonging to Japan's middle-income class, this stage of the number of middle-aged people, work types and fields span a large range, belongs to the backbone of the Japanese economy.
The annual income of this group is more than 3 million yen and less than 8 million yen, which is equivalent to 15,000 to 35,000 yen. The Japanese statistical agency has interviewed more than 2,000 Japanese women and counted their hard criteria for mate selection. More than 40% of Japanese women require an annual income of 6.5 million yen or more (equivalent to 357,000 yuan). Among them, 15% of Japanese women want to have an annual income of more than 10 million yen (equivalent to about 550,000 yuan).
Although the wage level in Japan is relatively high, the price level is also relatively high. Especially in several large cities in Japan, such as Tokyo and Osaka, it is very difficult for young people in Japan to buy a house or settle down in Tokyo or Osaka. In fact, there are not many cases in various countries.
There are many more questions about Japan, and the author will talk to you slowly in future articles.