2023 "Happiness Index" Rankings of Japanese Prefectures Released, Okinawa Prefecture Maintaining Its Top Position!

In the midst of various challenges in contemporary Japan, such as an aging population, declining working-age demographic, and the amplified issues brought to light by the COVID-19 pandemic, every local government is diligently addressing these concerns.

In recent years, with the surge in prices of commodities, crude oil, electricity, and essential necessities reaching historic highs, many individuals may be harboring increased apprehensions about the future. The Japanese government has also raised the minimum hourly wage in each prefecture.

Against this backdrop, the Brand Comprehensive Research Institute conducted the "2023 Fifth Regional Sustainable Development Goals Survey." Below, we present the "Happiness Index rankings of Japanese prefectures" derived from the questionnaire, shedding light on which prefectures' residents experience the highest levels of happiness.

This survey, conducted by the residents of each prefecture, aims to clarify "regional sustainability" from the perspective of the residents (Survey Participants: Approximately 1,000 residents from each prefecture; Survey Period: June 8th to 12th). The survey quantifies four aspects: happiness, life satisfaction, attachment, and the desire to settle, calculating "sustainability" as a composite index of these four elements. Additionally, it quantifies the appeal and pride of local residents as well as the factors contributing to that appeal, serving as positive elements that influence sustainability. Simultaneously, the survey seeks to identify the concerns and issues residents perceive as negative factors, which could diminish sustainability, allowing for comparisons and analysis of the situation in each prefecture.

Which county ascended to the third position after Okinawa Prefecture secured the top rank and Kagoshima Prefecture claimed the second spot?

Happiness perception is measured on a five-point scale, with respondents providing a single answer to the question "Are you happy?" Each response is assigned a weighted average score of 100, 75, 50, 25, or 0, which is then utilized as the "happiness score."

While maintaining their positions in the top two, both Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures have experienced a slight decline in their "happiness scores." Last year, Okinawa Prefecture scored 77.4 points, while Kagoshima Prefecture scored 75.4 points.

Kumamoto Prefecture, which was ranked 35th last year, has made a remarkable leap to the third position this time. The prefecture's score increased from 68.2 points in the previous year to 72.3 points, marking a significant rise of 3.9 points, the most substantial increase among all 47 prefectures.

The average happiness index among the 47 prefectures stands at 68.3 points, a decrease from the previous year's 70.1 points. Factors contributing to this decline include a drop in the proportion of respondents describing themselves as "very happy," decreasing from 29.7% to 27.6% compared to the previous year. The most probable cause for this shift is the rising prices.

Among the 47 prefectures, an average of 29.7% of the population is affected by increasing prices, marking an 8-percentage point increase (a 40% rise from the previous year's 21.8%). On the other hand, 36.3% of respondents expressed their greatest concern as "low income/low wages," a slight increase from the previous year's 35.2%.