近來在日本網路與華語圈中，關於「年薪500萬日圓到底算不算窮」以及「為何在相親市場反而不吃香」的討論越來越熱烈。一方面是許多人普遍感受到薪資成長停滯，另一方面卻是物價、房租與生活成本持續上升，現實壓力讓原本看似不錯的數字，逐漸失去安全感。也正是在這樣的背景下，「年收500萬日圓在相親市場沒什麼優勢」這類說法，才會引起強烈共鳴與爭議。

先從數字本身來看，年薪500萬日圓換算成今天的匯率，大約相當於25萬人民幣左右，乍看之下似乎不算低。但這是稅前收入，實際上在日本需要扣除所得稅、住民稅、年金與健康保險等社會保險費用，真正能拿到手的金額，大約落在390至410萬日圓之間，換算成人民幣約20萬左右。也就是說，帳面上的「500萬」，與實際可支配所得之間，其實存在明顯落差。

若從整體社會結構來觀察，500萬日圓在日本究竟處於什麼位置？根據日本國稅廳長官官房企劃課公布的《令和6年民間工資實態統計調查》，全年持續工作的受薪者平均年收入為478萬日圓。單看這個數字，500萬確實略高於全體平均。然而一旦拆分性別與僱傭形態，差距就變得十分明顯。男性的平均年收入為587萬日圓，女性則僅有333萬日圓，性別薪資差距依然相當顯著。從僱傭形式來看，正式員工的平均年收為545萬日圓，而非正式員工僅有206萬日圓，幾乎不到正式員工的一半。

進一步交叉比對性別與僱傭型態後，可以發現正式員工中的男性平均年收約為609萬日圓，女性則為430萬日圓；非正式員工中，男性約為271萬日圓，女性僅174萬日圓。從這些數據來看，年薪500萬日圓對日本男性而言，確實稱不上「高收入」，頂多只是略高於整體平均，甚至還低於正式男性員工的平均水準。這也能解釋為何在年收超過500萬日圓的人群比例中，男性約為 50.9%，女性則只有17.7%。換句話說，對男性來說，500萬日圓更像是一條「中位線」，而非能明顯拉開差距的門檻。

那麼，問題來了，既然不算窮，為什麼在相親或婚戀市場上卻容易被嫌棄？關鍵並不在於「能不能活」，而在於「能不能過得安心」。在當代日本的婚戀期待中，年收500萬往往被默認為一個「剛好不拖後腿」的標準，而非能承擔未來家庭風險的保障線。房價高漲、首都圈租金昂貴、育兒與教育成本沉重，再加上女性對婚姻風險的現實考量，使得相親市場更傾向於尋找「高於平均值、能抵禦不確定性」的對象。於是，站在平均值附近的500萬，反而顯得不上不下。

此外，相親市場本身就是高度比較化的環境。當平台或介紹人同時擺出年收600 萬、700萬甚至800萬的案例時，500 萬自然會被快速歸類為「普通」。這種嫌棄並非針對個人能力，而是來自結構性的焦慮與選擇偏好。對許多女性而言，這不只是「愛不愛」的問題，而是對未來生活品質、育兒風險與個人生涯安全感的理性判斷。

總結來說，年薪500萬日圓在日本並不等於貧窮，它仍然是一個能夠維持體面單身生活、甚至在地方城市過得相對舒適的收入水準。然而在以結婚、買房、育兒為前提的相親市場中，它剛好落在平均值附近，既不低到出局，也不高到具備明顯競爭力。正因如此，500 萬才會被貼上「沒優勢」的標籤，這並不是數字本身的問題，而是整個社會成本上升與期待膨脹之下，所產生的現實落差。

In recent years, discussions about whether an annual income of 5 million yen in Japan counts as “poor,” and why it is often looked down upon in the matchmaking market, have become increasingly common in both Japanese and Chinese-speaking communities. On one hand, many people feel that wages have stagnated for a long time; on the other, prices, rent, and daily living costs continue to rise. Under this pressure, a figure that once seemed respectable no longer provides the same sense of security. It is against this backdrop that headlines such as “An annual income of 5 million yen has little advantage in the matchmaking market” have sparked strong reactions.

Looking at the number itself, 5 million yen per year is roughly equivalent to about 250,000 RMB at current exchange rates, which at first glance does not seem low. However, this is a pre-tax figure. After deductions for income tax, resident tax, pension contributions, and health insurance, the actual take-home pay is typically around 3.9 to 4.1 million yen, or roughly 200,000 RMB. In other words, there is a clear gap between the headline income and the amount that can actually be used for daily life.

From a broader societal perspective, where does an annual income of 5 million yen stand in Japan? According to the “Reiwa 6 Private-Sector Wage Statistics Survey” released by the Planning Division of the National Tax Agency Commissioner’s Secretariat, the average annual income of full-year employees is 4.78 million yen. On the surface, 5 million yen is slightly above the overall average. However, once the data is broken down by gender and employment type, the disparities become clear. The average annual income for men is 5.87 million yen, while for women it is only 3.33 million yen, highlighting a significant gender wage gap. By employment status, regular employees earn an average of 5.45 million yen per year, whereas non-regular employees earn just 2.06 million yen—less than half that of regular workers.

When gender and employment type are examined together, the picture becomes even clearer. Among regular employees, men earn an average of about 6.09 million yen per year, while women earn around 4.3 million yen. Among non-regular employees, men earn roughly 2.71 million yen, and women only about 1.74 million yen. From this perspective, an annual income of 5 million yen is not considered high for Japanese men; it is merely slightly above the overall average and actually below the average for male regular employees. This is also reflected in income distribution data showing that approximately 50.9% of men earn more than 5 million yen annually, compared to only 17.7% of women. In other words, for men, 5 million yen represents a kind of median line rather than a threshold that clearly sets someone apart.

This leads to the key question: if 5 million yen does not mean poverty, why is it often viewed unfavorably in the matchmaking or marriage market? The issue is not whether one can survive, but whether one can live with long-term stability and peace of mind. In contemporary Japanese marriage expectations, an annual income of 5 million yen is often seen as just enough to “not fall behind,” rather than a level that can reliably absorb future risks. High housing prices, expensive rents in metropolitan areas, the heavy costs of raising and educating children, and women’s increasingly pragmatic assessments of marriage-related risks all contribute to higher income expectations in the matchmaking market. As a result, an income that sits close to the average can feel uncomfortably in-between.

Moreover, the matchmaking market itself is highly comparative by nature. When profiles with annual incomes of 6, 7, or even 8 million yen are placed side by side, 5 million yen is quickly categorized as “ordinary.” This sense of being overlooked is not necessarily a judgment on personal ability, but rather a reflection of structural anxiety and shifting preferences. For many women, the evaluation is less about romantic affection and more about rational considerations of future living standards, childcare costs, and personal security.

In summary, an annual income of 5 million yen in Japan does not equate to poverty. It is still sufficient to maintain a decent single lifestyle, and in regional cities, it can even support a relatively comfortable life. However, within a matchmaking market that assumes marriage, home ownership, and child-rearing as its goals, 5 million yen sits right around the average—neither low enough to be eliminated outright nor high enough to offer a clear competitive edge. This is precisely why it is often labeled as having “no advantage”: not because the number itself is small, but because rising social costs and inflated expectations have reshaped what financial security is perceived to mean.