Home ownership rate in Japan 1973-2023

In 2023, the home ownership rate in Japan stood at 60.9 percent, remaining mostly flat in the past 15 years. That year, the total number of houses owned in the country amounted to approximately 33.9 million. 

Which type of dwelling is common in Japan?

Among all residential buildings in Japan, detached houses exceeded all other building types in numbers. The majority of ordinary Japanese households live in detached houses. Japanese architecture is well known for its traditional wood constructions, and the use of timber for housing construction is still widely spread. Wood is still the major type of structure used for new residential buildings in Japan, followed by materials like steel.

The problem of abandoned houses

Due to a shrinking and aging population, and rural depopulation, Japan faces an increasing share of vacant dwellings, often referred to as “Akiya”. A large proportion of unoccupied houses in Japan are available for sale or rent. Some local governments and municipalities have reacted to the problem of abandoned houses by offering properties at reduced prices or even for free on certain conditions.