Japan's Food Self-Sufficiency Falls to Record-Low 37% as Rice Prices Lift Import Share
Updated
Updated · Kyodo News Plus · Aug 7
Japan's Food Self-Sufficiency Falls to Record-Low 37% as Rice Prices Lift Import Share
1 articles · Updated · Kyodo News Plus · Aug 7
Summary
Japan's calorie-based food self-sufficiency rate fell 1 point to 37% in FY2025, matching the lowest level on comparable records dating back to 1965 after holding at 38% for four years.
Soaring rice prices drove the drop by cutting consumption of the domestically supplied staple and raising the share of imports in overall food intake.
Rice self-sufficiency itself slipped 2 points to 95%, the lowest in 16 years; wheat stayed at 16% and meat at 53%, while seafood rose to 53% and vegetables fell to 77%.
The decline leaves Japan moving further from its 45% target for FY2030, even as the production-value-based self-sufficiency rate rose 2 points to 66% on higher prices for rice, eggs and other domestic foods.
Regional gaps remained stark: Hokkaido led calorie-based self-sufficiency in FY2024 at 227%, ahead of Akita's 221% and Yamagata's 147%, while Tokyo stood at 0% and Osaka at 1%.