Japan National Pension payment rate reaches 85.2%

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released data regarding the monthly payment rate for National Pension insurance premiums. The three-year elapsed payment rate was reported at 85.2% for the June 2023 period.

Analysis of the data shows that the 85.2% figure is based on the number of months subject to payment rather than the number of people. This distinction is significant because individuals receiving full exemptions or payment deferrals—totaling 5.95 million people as of the end of fiscal year 2025—are excluded from the denominator of the payment rate calculation. These individuals are not classified as delinquent payers under the law.

When viewed by population, the number of delinquent payers (those who have not paid for all 24 months) is 670,000. This represents 4.9% of the 13.57 million Category 1 insured persons and approximately 1.0% of the 67.59 million total public pension participants. Regional data shows the highest payment rate in Shimane at 92.7% and the lowest in Osaka at 80.2%.