日本民眾感受到的「變窮」現象，其實反映多層次的經濟結構與生活壓力。儘管名目薪資在近年呈現緩慢上升，但由於物價漲幅遠超薪資增長，實質購買力已連續四年下降（2022年至2025 年），讓多數家庭在日常生活中感受到沉重的財務壓力與生活成本增加。這一現象的形成，主要可以從以下三個核心因素理解。

首先是物價上漲帶來的生活成本負擔。日本長期以來面臨通貨緊縮，但近期全球能源與原物料價格飆升，再加上日圓大幅貶值，導致進口成本急速上升。對普通家庭而言，糧食、日用品與能源開支同步增加，尤其是2025年至2026年初，日本米價及食品價格顯著攀升，對家庭預算造成極大壓力。由於許多中小企業難以將成本完全轉嫁給消費者，利潤空間受到壓縮，也進一步限制加薪的可能性，使家庭的實質生活水準下降。

其次，日本就業結構的變化加劇收入不穩定性。在泡沫經濟破裂之後，日本企業人力結構經歷劇烈調整，「約聘、派遣」等非正規雇用比例已占勞動人口約四成。非正規員工薪資普遍低於正式員工，缺乏長期晉升機制與完整福利，形成低薪循環。為了在景氣波動時保持人力彈性，許多企業傾向雇用非正規員工，這不僅造成薪資停滯，也加深了社會貧富差距與不穩定感，讓民眾切身感受到「收入停滯、生活壓力增加」的矛盾。

最後，實質薪資持續負成長成為壓垮民眾購買力的直接因素。根據日本厚生勞動省最新統計，2025年人均實質薪資較上一年下降1.3%，已是連續第四年負成長。即便2024年春鬥談判中部分行業獲得顯著加薪，但在超過2%的通膨環境下，勞工實際感受到的財富仍在縮水。長期薪資停滯甚至導致高技術人才尋求海外就業，進一步削弱國內經濟活力，形成惡性循環。

總體而言，日本人「變窮」並非單一因素造成，而是物價上漲、非正規就業比例增加以及實質薪資負成長等多重結構性因素交織的結果。在這種環境下，民眾生活成本持續上升，而收入增長卻無法跟上通膨速度，使得「名目富足、實質貧窮」成為近年日本社會的現實寫照。

The perception among Japanese citizens that they are “becoming poorer” reflects a multi-layered economic and social reality. Although nominal wages have shown modest increases in recent years, price rises have far outpaced salary growth, resulting in a continuous decline in real purchasing power from 2022 to 2025. This has placed substantial financial pressure on households and increased the cost of daily living. The phenomenon can be understood through three core factors.

The first factor is the burden of rising prices. While Japan has long experienced deflation, recent surges in global energy and raw material prices, coupled with a significant depreciation of the yen, have sharply increased import costs. For ordinary households, expenditures on food, daily necessities, and energy have all risen simultaneously. Notably, between 2025 and early 2026, rice and general food prices rose substantially, exerting significant pressure on household budgets. Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to fully pass these costs on to consumers, squeezing profit margins and limiting the potential for wage increases, thereby eroding real living standards.

The second factor lies in changes to Japan’s employment structure, which have exacerbated income instability. Following the collapse of the bubble economy, companies restructured their workforce, and non-regular employment—such as contract and temporary work—now accounts for approximately 40% of the labor force. Non-regular employees generally earn less than full-time staff, lack long-term promotion opportunities, and receive limited benefits, creating a cycle of low wages. To maintain workforce flexibility amid economic fluctuations, many companies favor non-regular employment, which not only suppresses wage growth but also widens social inequality and heightens a sense of instability, leaving people feeling the tangible effects of “stagnant income and rising living pressures.”

The third factor is the persistent decline in real wages. According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the average real wage per person in 2025 fell by 1.3% compared with the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive year of negative growth. Even though the 2024 spring labor negotiations (Shunto) resulted in significant nominal wage increases in certain sectors, inflation exceeding 2% meant that workers’ actual purchasing power continued to shrink. Long-term wage stagnation has also driven some high-skilled workers to seek employment abroad, further weakening domestic economic vitality and creating a vicious cycle.

In summary, the perception of “becoming poorer” in Japan is not due to a single factor but rather the combined effects of rising prices, a high proportion of non-regular employment, and consecutive years of real wage decline. In this environment, the cost of living continues to rise while income growth fails to keep pace with inflation, creating the reality of “nominal prosperity but real poverty” that many Japanese households have experienced in recent years.