Economy, jobs and prices in Sapporo, Japan: official figures
Taxable income for municipal resident tax in Sapporo averaged 3.63 million yen per taxpayer in fiscal 2024, 127th lowest of 262 cities and below 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 Sapporo earn in total?
Residents of Sapporo had 3.18 trillion yen of taxable income in total in fiscal 2024, from 874,563 resident-tax payers (44.3 per 100 residents, below the national figure (45.3)).
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people work in Sapporo?
At the 2020 census 845,953 residents of Sapporo were in work and 887,222 were in the labour force (working or seeking work), equal to 42.9 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 Sapporo?
The unemployment rate in Sapporo was 4.7% at the 2020 census (41,269 people out of 887,222 in the labour force), 25th 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 Sapporo?
By sector, 0.5% of employed residents of Sapporo worked in primary industries (farming, forestry, fishing), 13.7% in secondary (mining, construction, manufacturing) and 82.5% 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 Sapporo?
84.5% of employed residents of Sapporo were employees (excluding company directors), 6.4% were self-employed business owners and 5.9% 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 Sapporo?
At the 2020 census 411,760 residents of Sapporo commuted to work in another municipality and 410,983 people living elsewhere commuted in. The daytime population was 1,974,164, or 100.0 per 100 night-time residents, 102nd highest of 262 cities.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many businesses are there in Sapporo?
Sapporo had 72,730 private-sector business establishments employing 872,779 people in 2021 (government offices are excluded), about 12.0 workers per establishment.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow big is manufacturing in Sapporo?
Factories in Sapporo shipped goods worth 638.3 billion yen in 2023 and employed 27,559 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 Sapporo?
Wholesale and retail businesses in Sapporo sold goods worth 9.46 trillion yen in the year covered by the 2021 Economic Census (sales for 2020), across 13,595 commercial establishments employing 153,215 people.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many shops and restaurants are there in Sapporo?
Sapporo had 10,370 retail stores and 7,354 eating and drinking places in 2021, including 348 large retail stores (50+ staff) and 17 department stores or general supermarkets.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow much farmland is there in Sapporo?
Farmland in Sapporo covered 25.00 square kilometres in 2024, 2.2% of the total area.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow much waste does Sapporo recycle?
Sapporo produced 578,674 tonnes of household and business waste in 2023 and recycled 24.7% of it.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow Sapporo compares with other cities in Japan
Taxable income per resident-tax payer (fiscal 2024)
Sapporo ranks 136 of 262, highest first. Municipal resident tax base before deductions, from SSDS items C120110 and C120120
| Rank | City | Taxable income per resident-tax payer |
|---|---|---|
| 133 | Shunan | 3,648 thousand yen |
| 134 | Zama | 3,644 thousand yen |
| 135 | Kuki | 3,634 thousand yen |
| 136 | Sapporo | 3,633 thousand yen |
| 137 | Kumagaya | 3,630 thousand yen |
| 138 | Suzuka | 3,628 thousand yen |
| 139 | Ube | 3,626 thousand yen |
Unemployment rate (2020 census)
Sapporo ranks 25 of 262, highest first. Unemployed people as a share of the labour force, taken during the Covid-19 pandemic
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Moriguchi | 4.8% |
| 23 | Higashiosaka | 4.7% |
| 24 | Fukuoka | 4.7% |
| 25 | Sapporo | 4.7% |
| 26 | Hadano | 4.6% |
| 27 | Kishiwada | 4.6% |
| 28 | Amagasaki | 4.6% |
Daytime population per 100 residents (2020 census)
Sapporo ranks 102 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 99 | Ise | 100.2 |
| 100 | Oyama | 100.1 |
| 101 | Joetsu | 100.1 |
| 102 | Sapporo | 100.0 |
| 103 | Tomakomai | 100.0 |
| 104 | Ichinoseki | 99.9 |
| 105 | Kitami | 99.9 |
More on Sapporo: 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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