Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Japan

Summary of key data and information

	Summary of key data and information
Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1)	In Japan, homelessness is defined as: those who use city parks, riverbanks, roads, train stations and other facilities as their place of stay in order to live their daily lives.
Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3)	2 591 individuals, representing 0.002% of the total population (2025)
	6% are women, 91% are men
	Point-in-time count, based on the National Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (approximate survey)
	ETHOS Light groups included	Included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces Not included: ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing)
	Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4)	According to the Act on Special Measures concerning Assistance in Self-Support of Homeless, the State, with the co‑operation of local governments, must conduct a nationwide survey on the actual situation of homelessness.
Homelessness Strategy (Table 5)	National Homelessness Strategy: Measures to Support Homeless Self-Reliance
Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)	National Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (approximate survey): Annual street count performed in January in collaboration with municipal governments (Table 6.1). National Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (fact-finding survey on living conditions): People experiencing homelessness are interviewed about their living conditions (Table 6.2).

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness

	Statistical definition
Homelessness	According to The Act on Special Measures concerning Assistance in Self-Support of Homeless homelessness is defined as “those who utilise city parks, riverbanks, roads, train stations and other facilities as their place of stay in order to live their daily lives.”

Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology

Year	Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals)	% of total population	ETHOS Light 1 People living rough	ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation	ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless	ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions	ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings	ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends
2018	4 977	0.004%	4 977	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
2023	3 065	0.002%	3 065	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
2025	2 591	0.002%	2 591	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Data are comparable across years: Yes Included in headline estimate: Children: Unknown Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: No Refugees: No Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No

Note: It is unclear whether the headline estimate includes children, as the age of respondents is not measured.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2018, 2023, 2025), National Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (approximate survey).

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2025

	Single adults	Men	Women	Youth (aged 15‑29)	Older people (aged 65 and over)	Families with children (# of households)
Headline estimate of homelessness	NA	2 346	163	NA	NA	NA
As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness	NA	90.50%	6.30%	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 1: People living rough	NA	2 346	163	NA	NA	NA
ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included	Not included
Metadata: Type of count: Point-in-time Included in headline estimate: Children: No Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: No Refugees: No Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No

Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); National Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (approximate survey).

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness

	Legal framework
Law that governs data collection on homelessness	The Act on Special Measures concerning Assistance in Self-Support of Homeless
Legal obligations	The Act requires that the State, with the co‑operation of local governments, conduct a nationwide survey on the actual situation of homelessness.

Table 5. Homelessness strategy

	Homelessness strategies in place
National Homelessness Strategy	Measures to Support Homeless Self-Reliance
Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist	No.

Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness

6.1. National Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (approximate survey)
Description The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare collaborate with local governments to perform street counts. The street count takes place in January of every year. The number of people experiencing homelessness are classified by the following five locations: urban parks, rivers, roads, station buildings and other facilities.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Street Count
Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare	Source(s) of information Local governments collect information through municipality control. The information is shared with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Scope National level	Depth of data Disaggregated by gender and location
Frequency Every year
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Results of a Nationwide Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (Approximate Survey) - Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (mhlw.go.jp)
6.2. National Survey on the Actual Conditions of Homelessness (Fact-finding Survey on Living Conditions)
Description A sample of people experiencing homelessness are interviewed about their living conditions. Interviews take place every five years in January. As much as possible, survey respondents selected are equally representative of age, gender, distribution of homeless living places, and whether the person is fixed or mobile. People experiencing homelessness are informed prior to the survey that they will be interviewed.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Street count (with a survey)
Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare	Source(s) of information Local governments collect information through investigators. The information is shared with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Scope Tokyo’s 23 wards and cities where the number of people experiencing homelessness is reported to be above 20.	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics, living conditions, time spent experiencing homelessness.
Frequency Every 5 years
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Summary of results| Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (mhlw.go.jp)

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1.Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housing-database.html.

This work is issued under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD, and does not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD Member countries. 

This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union. 

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. 

  

© OECD 2026 

   Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) 

This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. By using this work, you accept to be bound by the terms of this licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 

Attribution – you must cite the work. 

Translations – you must cite the original work, identify changes to the original and add the following text: In the event of any discrepancy between the original work and the translation, only the text of original work should be considered valid. 

Adaptations – you must cite the original work and add the following text: This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries. 

Third-party material – the licence does not apply to third-party material in the work. If using such material, you are responsible for obtaining permission from the third party and for any claims of infringement. 

You must not use the OECD logo, visual identity or cover image without express permission or suggest the OECD endorses your use of the work. 

Any dispute arising under this licence shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Arbitration Rules 2012. The seat of arbitration shall be Paris (France). The number of arbitrators shall be one.