Economy, jobs and prices in Osaka, Japan: official figures
Taxable income for municipal resident tax in Osaka averaged 3.94 million yen per taxpayer in fiscal 2024, 64th highest of 262 cities and above the national average of 3,933.7 thousand yen per taxpayer. It is income before deductions, so it is not take-home pay.
How much income do people in Osaka earn in total?
Residents of Osaka had 4.97 trillion yen of taxable income in total in fiscal 2024, from 1,260,706 resident-tax payers (45.8 per 100 residents, above the national figure (45.3)).
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people work in Osaka?
At the 2020 census 1,072,465 residents of Osaka were in work and 1,128,097 were in the labour force (working or seeking work), equal to 39.0 employed people per 100 residents of all ages, below the national figure (45.7).
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Osaka?
The unemployment rate in Osaka was 4.9% at the 2020 census (55,632 people out of 1,128,097 in the labour force), 18th highest of 262 cities, above the national figure (3.8%). The census was taken during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyWhat are the main industries in Osaka?
By sector, 0.1% of employed residents of Osaka worked in primary industries (farming, forestry, fishing), 19.8% in secondary (mining, construction, manufacturing) and 75.4% in tertiary industries (services and the rest) at the 2020 census. Nationally the shares were 3.4%, 23.0% and 70.6%. The three do not add to 100% because some jobs are not classified.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people are self-employed in Osaka?
80.1% of employed residents of Osaka were employees (excluding company directors), 8.6% were self-employed business owners and 6.4% were directors, at the 2020 census; nationally 81.4% were employees.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people commute into Osaka?
At the 2020 census 622,305 residents of Osaka commuted to work in another municipality and 1,368,137 people living elsewhere commuted in. The daytime population was 3,534,521, or 128.4 per 100 night-time residents, the highest of 262 cities.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many businesses are there in Osaka?
Osaka had 177,184 private-sector business establishments employing 2,308,581 people in 2021 (government offices are excluded), about 13.0 workers per establishment.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow big is manufacturing in Osaka?
Factories in Osaka shipped goods worth 4.56 trillion yen in 2023 and employed 120,867 people in manufacturing in 2024.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow much do shops and wholesalers sell in Osaka?
Wholesale and retail businesses in Osaka sold goods worth 39.73 trillion yen in the year covered by the 2021 Economic Census (sales for 2020), across 34,597 commercial establishments employing 415,955 people.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many shops and restaurants are there in Osaka?
Osaka had 22,951 retail stores and 20,354 eating and drinking places in 2021, including 521 large retail stores (50+ staff) and 29 department stores or general supermarkets.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow much farmland is there in Osaka?
Farmland in Osaka covered 1.00 square kilometres in 2024, 0.4% of the total area.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow much waste does Osaka recycle?
Osaka produced 965,815 tonnes of household and business waste in 2023 and recycled 9.5% of it.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow Osaka compares with other cities in Japan
Taxable income per resident-tax payer (fiscal 2024)
Osaka ranks 64 of 262, highest first. Municipal resident tax base before deductions, from SSDS items C120110 and C120120
| Rank | City | Taxable income per resident-tax payer |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Yamato | 3,953 thousand yen |
| 62 | Sanda | 3,949 thousand yen |
| 63 | Tokai | 3,945 thousand yen |
| 64 | Osaka | 3,942 thousand yen |
| 65 | Utsunomiya | 3,937 thousand yen |
| 66 | Higashimurayama | 3,925 thousand yen |
| 67 | Handa | 3,919 thousand yen |
Unemployment rate (2020 census)
Osaka ranks 18 of 262, highest first. Unemployed people as a share of the labour force, taken during the Covid-19 pandemic
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Hitachi | 5.1% |
| 16 | Iwaki | 5.0% |
| 17 | Aomori | 5.0% |
| 18 | Osaka | 4.9% |
| 19 | Ishinomaki | 4.9% |
| 20 | Hakodate | 4.9% |
| 21 | Beppu | 4.8% |
Daytime population per 100 residents (2020 census)
Osaka ranks 1 of 262, highest first. Above 100 means more people are in the city by day than live there.
| Rank | City | Daytime population per 100 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Osaka | 128.4 |
| 2 | Tokyo | 126.8 |
| 3 | Narita | 121.9 |
| 4 | Kariya | 121.1 |
| 5 | Komaki | 118.4 |
| 6 | Atsugi | 115.8 |
| 7 | Tachikawa | 113.2 |
More on Osaka: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · all cities in Japan
Sources
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Municipalities 2026 (social and demographic statistics, city, ward, town and village data), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2cb3d8c51aa1…)
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Prefectures 2026 (national figures, "All Japan" row), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b69774a5f40c…)
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