National medical care expenditure is 48 trillion 91.5 billion yen | Reading the 380,000 yen per person breakdown

In October 2025, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released Japan’s national medical care expenditure for fiscal 2023 (Reiwa 5). These are final statistics estimating how much was spent over one year on treatment for illnesses and injuries that may be covered by health insurance. Costs for health checkups, vaccinations, normal pregnancy and childbirth, and similar items are not included.

A record high of 48.0915 trillion yen

National medical care expenditure in fiscal 2023 was 48.0915 trillion yen, up 1.3948 trillion yen (3.0%) from the previous fiscal year and the highest on record. Per person, it was 386,700 yen, an increase of 13,000 yen (3.5%) from the previous fiscal year. The ratio to gross domestic product (GDP) was 8.08%, down from 8.23% the previous fiscal year. This was because GDP growth (4.9%) exceeded growth in medical expenditure.

Key points of national medical care expenditure in fiscal 2023
・Total: 48.0915 trillion yen (up 3.0% year on year)
・Per person: 386,700 yen
・Medical expenditure for people aged 65 and over: 28.8806 trillion yen (60.1% of the total)
・Per person: 218,000 yen for those under 65, 797,200 yen for those aged 65 and over
・Funding sources: insurance premiums 50.2%, public funds 37.5%, patient co-payments and other sources 12.3%

Whose costs, and for what?

By age group, medical expenses for people aged 65 and over totaled 28 trillion 880.6 billion yen, accounting for 60.1% of the total. On a per-person basis, expenses for those aged 65 and over were 797,200 yen, about 3.7 times those for people under 65 (218,000 yen).

Looking at funding sources, insurance premiums accounted for half, at 24 trillion 138.3 billion yen (50.2%); of this, employers accounted for 22.0% and insured individuals for 28.2%. Public funds totaled 18 trillion 33.1 billion yen (37.5%), divided into national treasury funds at 24.8% and local government funds at 12.7%. Patient co-payments were 5 trillion 686.5 billion yen (11.8%).

By type of care, medical treatment accounted for 71.8%, pharmacy dispensing for 17.6%, and dental treatment for 6.9%. Home-visit nursing medical expenses were relatively small at 572.7 billion yen, but increased 23.6% from the previous fiscal year. Looking at medical treatment expenses by disease category, diseases of the circulatory system were the largest at 6 trillion 283.4 billion yen (18.2%), followed by neoplasms (tumors) at 5 trillion 199.4 billion yen (15.0%).

By prefecture, per-person medical expenses were highest in Kochi Prefecture at 496,300 yen and lowest in Saitama Prefecture at 342,500 yen. When compared with cause-of-death statistics, it becomes clear that the fields with high medical costs and the leading causes of death overlap considerably. the article on 2025 vital statistics as well.

Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Overview of National Medical Care Expenditure for Fiscal Year Reiwa 5 (2023)”

※This article introduces statistics and system information published by public institutions and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any specific disease. If you have health concerns, please consult a medical institution.

—The Value Village Editorial Team