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Are Japanese Households Financially Healthy, and If So, Why? A Group of Seven (G7) Comparison

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  • Charles Yuji Horioka

Abstract

In this paper, I conduct an international comparison of the financial health of households using data on household wealth and indebtedness for the Group of Seven (G7) countries and show that, even though household borrowings in Japan were the highest among the G7 countries, at least until 2000, household assets were also high in Japan, as a result of which household net worth and financial health in Japan were among the highest in the G7 countries. Turning to long-term trends in Japan over time, I find that Japan has shown a sharp increase over time in household borrowing, at least until 2000, and a sharp increase over time in both household assets and household net worth, at least until 1990. It is not clear whether the greater financial health of Japanese households is due more to culture or to government policies, institutions, and other non-cultural factors, but it appears that long-term trends over time in household assets, liabilities, and net worth in Japan can be explained much better by non-cultural factors than by culture.

Suggested Citation

  • Charles Yuji Horioka, 2012. "Are Japanese Households Financially Healthy, and If So, Why? A Group of Seven (G7) Comparison," ISER Discussion Paper 0859, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    • Handle: RePEc:dpr:wpaper:0859
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    File URL: https://www.iser.osaka-u.ac.jp/library/dp/2012/DP0859.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Horioka, Charles Yuji, 1990. "Why is Japan's household saving rate so high? A literature survey," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 49-92, March.
    2. Charles Yuji Horioka, 2004. "Are the Japanese Unique? An Analysis of Consumption and Saving Behavior in Japan," ISER Discussion Paper 0606, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    3. Scott Bowman, 2011. "Multigenerational Interactions in Black Middle Class Wealth and Asset Decision Making," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 15-26, March.
    4. Charles Yuji Horioka, 2007. "A Survey of Household Saving Behavior in Japan," ISER Discussion Paper 0684, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eiji Fujii, 2017. "Government Size, Trade Openness, and Output Volatility: A Case of fully Integrated Economies," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 661-684, September.
    2. Horioka, Charles Yuji & Niimi, Yoko, 2020. "Was the expansion of housing credit in Japan good or bad?," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    3. Charles Yuji Horioka, 2021. "Is the selfish life-cycle model more applicable in Japan and, if so, why? A literature survey," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 157-187, March.
    4. Jakob Kapeller & Bernhard Schütz, 2013. "Exploring Pluralist Economics: The Case of the Minsky-Veblen Cycles," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(2), pages 515-524.

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