Poverty and living standards in Hokkaido, Japan: official figures
The number of people receiving public assistance (seikatsu hogo) per 1,000 people in Hokkaido was 29.50 in 2023, 2nd highest of 47 prefectures.
How many older people receive welfare in Hokkaido?
The number of people aged 65 or over receiving public assistance per 1,000 people aged 65 or over in Hokkaido was 45.3 in 2022, tied for 3rd highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people get housing assistance in Hokkaido?
The number of people receiving housing assistance per 1,000 people in Hokkaido was 25.77 in 2023, 2nd highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people in Hokkaido have a disability certificate?
The number of physical disability certificates issued per 1,000 people in Hokkaido was 55.4 in 2023, 3rd highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many disabled job seekers find work in Hokkaido?
The employment rate of job seekers with disabilities in Hokkaido was 39.7% in 2024, tied for 4th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people in Hokkaido claim unemployment benefit?
The share of insured workers receiving unemployment benefit in Hokkaido was 1.30% in 2023, tied for 15th highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyWhat is the crime rate in Hokkaido?
The number of recorded criminal offences per 1,000 people in Hokkaido was 4.37 in 2023, 19th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many crimes are solved in Hokkaido?
The share of recorded offences that police cleared in Hokkaido was 49.3% in 2023, 18th highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many police officers are there in Hokkaido?
The number of police officers per 1,000 people in Hokkaido was 2.07 in 2024, 17th highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people die in road accidents in Hokkaido?
The number of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in Hokkaido was 2.10 in 2024, tied for 11th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many road accidents happen in Hokkaido?
The number of road traffic accidents per 100,000 people in Hokkaido was 173.4 in 2024, 17th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people die in accidents in Hokkaido?
The number of deaths from unintentional accidents per 100,000 people in Hokkaido was 40.1 in 2023, 24th highest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow much damage do disasters cause in Hokkaido?
The value of disaster damage per person in Hokkaido was 1,273 yen in 2023, 15th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many fires are there in Hokkaido?
The number of fires per 100,000 people in Hokkaido was 31.2 in 2023, 20th lowest of 47 prefectures.
Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications · saved copyHow many people receive welfare in Hokkaido?
145,775 people in Hokkaido were receiving public assistance (seikatsu hogo, Japan's last-resort welfare payment) in March 2026, which is 2.89 per 100 residents, 2nd highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 1,980,808 people (1.60 per 100 residents).
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many households receive welfare in Hokkaido?
120,534 households in Hokkaido were receiving public assistance in March 2026, 4th most of 47 prefectures, an average of 1.21 people per household. Japan overall: 1,644,531 households (1.20 people per household).
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many older people on welfare are there in Hokkaido?
Households of people aged 65 or over made up 54.8% of the 120,302 households receiving public assistance (suspended cases excluded) in Hokkaido in March 2026 (65,895 households), 18th lowest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 55.3%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many people on welfare live alone in Hokkaido?
Single-person households made up 84.9% of the 120,302 households receiving public assistance (suspended cases excluded) in Hokkaido in March 2026 (102,125 households), 14th lowest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 85.6%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many single mothers are on welfare in Hokkaido?
Single-mother households made up 4.2% of the 120,302 households receiving public assistance (suspended cases excluded) in Hokkaido in March 2026 (5,080 households), 5th highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 3.4%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many disabled people are on welfare in Hokkaido?
Households with a disabled or sick member as the main reason made up 27.2% of the 120,302 households receiving public assistance (suspended cases excluded) in Hokkaido in March 2026 (32,671 households), 5th highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 25.4%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many working-age people are on welfare in Hokkaido?
Households of working-age people with none of the above reasons ("other households") made up 13.8% of the 120,302 households receiving public assistance (suspended cases excluded) in Hokkaido in March 2026 (16,656 households), 17th lowest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 15.8%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many people on welfare in Hokkaido are working?
Households with someone in work made up 18.9% of the 120,302 households receiving public assistance (suspended cases excluded) in Hokkaido in March 2026 (22,703 households), 4th highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 15.6%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many people on welfare in Hokkaido get rent support?
The share of people on public assistance who received housing assistance (rent support) in Hokkaido was 87.4% in March 2026, 7th highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 85.4%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many people on welfare in Hokkaido receive living allowances?
The share of people on public assistance who received living assistance (the basic monthly payment) in Hokkaido was 87.8% in March 2026, 4th highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 86.2%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many children on welfare in Hokkaido get school support?
The share of people on public assistance who received education assistance (mostly schoolchildren) in Hokkaido was 4.2% in March 2026, 13th highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 4.0%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many people on welfare in Hokkaido get medical help?
The share of people on public assistance who received medical assistance (free treatment) in Hokkaido was 88.1% in March 2026, 10th highest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 85.2%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many people apply for welfare in Hokkaido?
1,620 applications for public assistance were received in Hokkaido in March 2026, which is 32.1 per 100,000 residents, 3rd highest of 47 prefectures, and 1,484 households started receiving it that month. Japan overall: 23,636 applications (19.1 per 100,000).
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow many foreign households receive welfare in Hokkaido?
The share of households receiving public assistance whose head does not hold Japanese nationality in Hokkaido was 0.4% in March 2026, 4th lowest of 47 prefectures. Japan overall: 2.9%.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat · saved copyHow Hokkaido compares with other prefectures
People on public assistance per 1,000 residents (2023)
Hokkaido ranks 2 of 47, highest first. Monthly average, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
| Rank | Region | People on public assistance per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Osaka | 30.42 |
| 2 | Hokkaido | 29.50 |
| 3 | Okinawa | 27.07 |
| 4 | Kochi | 25.64 |
| 5 | Fukuoka | 23.28 |
| 6 | Aomori | 23.13 |
| 7 | Kyoto | 20.95 |
Recorded offences per 1,000 residents (2023)
Hokkaido ranks 29 of 47, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Recorded offences per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Wakayama | 4.52 |
| 27 | Toyama | 4.47 |
| 28 | Shizuoka | 4.39 |
| 29 | Hokkaido | 4.37 |
| 30 | Kagoshima | 4.34 |
| 31 | Ishikawa | 4.31 |
| 32 | Yamanashi | 4.23 |
People on public assistance per 100 residents (March 2026) (2026)
Hokkaido ranks 2 of 47, highest first. MHLW Public Assistance Recipients Survey; prefecture totals include the designated cities and core cities in each prefecture, divided by the 1 October 2024 population estimate
| Rank | Region | People on public assistance per 100 residents (March 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Osaka | 2.97 |
| 2 | Hokkaido | 2.89 |
| 3 | Okinawa | 2.72 |
| 4 | Kochi | 2.47 |
| 5 | Aomori | 2.28 |
| 6 | Fukuoka | 2.26 |
| 7 | Kyoto | 2.01 |
Elderly households as a share of households on public assistance (March 2026) (2026)
Hokkaido ranks 30 of 47, highest first. Share of households receiving assistance; the survey excludes suspended cases
| Rank | Region | Elderly households as a share of households on public assistance (March 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Toyama | 56.2% |
| 28 | Fukushima | 55.9% |
| 29 | Tochigi | 55.6% |
| 30 | Hokkaido | 54.8% |
| 31 | Hyogo | 54.6% |
| 32 | Shizuoka | 54.5% |
| 33 | Nagano | 54.0% |
Applications for public assistance per 100,000 residents (March 2026) (2026)
Hokkaido ranks 3 of 47, highest first. One month only, so it can swing in small prefectures
| Rank | Region | Applications for public assistance per 100,000 residents (March 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Osaka | 36.1 |
| 2 | Okinawa | 32.4 |
| 3 | Hokkaido | 32.1 |
| 4 | Kochi | 31.4 |
| 5 | Aomori | 24.1 |
| 6 | Miyazaki | 23.7 |
| 7 | Fukuoka | 21.8 |
More on Hokkaido: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Japan
Sources
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Statistical Observations of Prefectures 2026 (Tōkei de miru todōfuken no sugata), full volume, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b69774a5f40c…)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, via e-Stat: Public Assistance Recipients Survey, monthly viewing tables for March 2026 (recipients and households by prefecture and city), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 35c582f0afd2…)
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