Japan's rice consumption per person drops 6% to 7-year low in FY2025

TOKYO — Japan's average monthly rice consumption per person fell 6.1 percent to a seven-year low of 4,435 grams in the year ended March 2026, reflecting consumers shifting away from the country's staple food after supply shortages sparked a price surge in recent years, according to rice association data.

The figure was the lowest since fiscal 2018 when the average stood at 4,426 grams, with the decline from the 4,722 grams in fiscal 2024 equivalent to 4.4 bowls of rice, recent data by Rice Stable Supply Support Organization showed.

Among households, comprising 66 percent of the total, consumption fell 8.2 percent to 2,929 grams. The latest results show there is no sign of an end to the downtrend in rice consumption seen in the past decade.

Rice prices began surging around summer in 2024 after extreme summer heat reduced the previous season's harvest, with the average price spiking to over 4,000 yen per 5 kilograms from around 2,000 yen before the supply shortages.

The price surge pushed consumers to look for alternatives such as noodles, pasta and bread, industry observers said.

Rice prices have since declined as rice production increased in 2025 and are expected to fall further when the 2026 harvest hits store shelves.

"As prices of other food items are rising, it is hard to imagine that consumer interest would rise in purchasing rice (only)," a wholesaler official said.

© KYODO