Number of people covered by health insurance Japan FY 2020, by type of insurance

In fiscal year 2020, over 40 million people in Japan were covered by insurance under the Japan Health Insurance Association. Around 29 million people were covered by the National Health Insurance System.

 Health insurance system in Japan 

In Japan, all nationals are obliged to be covered by a public medical insurance system, which varies according to occupation, type of employment, and age. Public medical insurance is categorized into three major systems: employer-based health insurance for those working in companies or public sectors, national health insurance for the self-employed, farmers, non-regular employees, and retirees under 75 years old, and health insurance for persons over 75 years old.
While the number of people covered by national health insurance declined, the number of people with employer-based health insurance increased in recent years. When receiving medical treatment at a healthcare facility, patients only need to pay ten to 30 percent of the medical expenses, the rest is covered by medical insurance.

 Healthcare expenditure of an aging society 

Japan places significant emphasis on health-related issues, reflected in its substantial expenditure on healthcare to maintain its high standard of medical services and healthcare infrastructure. While health insurance premiums contribute to these expenditures, as average medical costs increase with age, the aging population has led to an increase in annual national healthcare expenditures per capita. In terms of annual national healthcare expenditures by service, costs for inpatient care top the list, surpassing those for outpatient care.