Number of housing units in Japan 1963-2023

In 2023, Japan's housing stock comprised around 65.1 million dwelling units. The number of housing units increased by over two million compared to five years ago.

Japan’s housing stock

Single-family homes made up the largest part of Japan’s inhabited housing stock, followed by apartments. While around 55.7 million housing units were occupied, a comparably large share of dwellings were vacant. Communities across Japan are faced with a growing number of abandoned homes whose owners are unknown. Given the rapidly shrinking population, rural depopulation, and the large supply of new homes every year, the proportion of empty homes in Japan is likely to further increase over the coming years.

How big are homes in Japan on average?

While the size of homes may largely vary depending on the type and geographical location, an average occupied home in Japan had a floor area of 93.04 square meters in 2018, with rented dwellings being much smaller than owned homes. Toyama Prefecture recorded the largest average floor size per dwelling. Not surprisingly, the smallest and most expensive homes could be found in the overpopulated metropolis of Tokyo.