Clothing Spending Is 10,063 Yen per Month | Reading the 2025 Family Income and Expenditure Survey

How much does one household spend on clothing and footwear each month? Using the 2025 results of the Family Income and Expenditure Survey from the Statistics Bureau of Japan, we look at spending on “clothing and footwear” among households of two or more people.

About 3.2% of consumer spending goes to clothing and footwear

In 2025, consumer spending by households of two or more people averaged 314,001 yen per household per month. This was a nominal increase of 4.6% from the previous year, and even after excluding price changes of 3.7%, it was a real increase of 0.9%.

Of this, “clothing and footwear” averaged 10,063 yen per month, accounting for about 3.2% of total consumer spending. Compared with the previous year, this was a nominal increase of 0.8% and a real decrease of 1.8%. Although the amount of money rose slightly, after subtracting the effect of price increases, it can be read as a slight decrease in the quantity purchased. Of the 10 major expense categories, the four that declined in real terms were “food,” “clothing and footwear,” “furniture and household utensils,” and “other consumer expenditures.”

In the breakdown, clothing decreased while underwear and shoes increased

Looking at the breakdown, the movement is not uniform.

• Clothing: 3,868 yen per month (nominal down 1.2%, real down 4.1%)
• Shirts and sweaters: 2,089 yen per month (nominal up 3.6%, real up 0.9%)
• Footwear: 1,497 yen per month (nominal up 4.0%, real up 1.8%)
• Underwear: 1,003 yen per month (nominal up 3.2%, real up 2.3%)
• Traditional Japanese clothing: 142 yen per month (nominal down 17.1%, real down 19.4%)

The overview of the same survey also mentions the impact of temperature. In April, low temperatures held back summer clothing and “clothing” decreased, while in October, falling temperatures from late in the month boosted demand for autumn and winter items, increasing categories such as “shirts and sweaters.” This shows that clothing spending is also influenced by seasonal weather.

Key numbers
In 2025, households of two or more people spent 10,063 yen per month on clothing and footwear, or about 120,000 yen annually. This was a real decrease of 1.8%; clothing fell 4.1% in real terms, while underwear and footwear increased in real terms.

People may be holding back on higher-priced clothing such as outerwear and suits, while replacing everyday underwear and shoes as needed. That kind of lifestyle seems to be reflected in the numbers. The idea of buying less, but better read together with this, it becomes easier to see the place clothing occupies within household budgets.

Reference: Statistics Bureau of Japan, “Family Income and Expenditure Survey Report 2025 Average Results Summary”

—The Value Village Editorial Team