フクオカ グロース FUKUOKA GROWTH 2024
日本語版⇒
Since 2014, it has been published a total of five times until 2022. In the spring of 2024, the 10th year of its publication, we will publish the sixth volume, “FUKUOKA GROWTH 2024”. The booklet will be published in both Japanese and English, and we hope you will use it as a tool to introduce Fukuoka City to people around the world.
Prior to the publication of the booklet in the spring of 2024, we will introduce various up-to-date information on the website several times.
SENIOR RESEARCHER
Director of Information and Strategy Office
Fukuoka aspires to be
where people want to live, visit, and work-
Regarding the “Want to live” in Fukuoka City, we will first review the results of the citizen survey.
“Is Fukuoka Livable?”
“Want to continue living in Fukuoka?”.
More than 90% of respondents answered affirmatively to both questions.
Those who already live in Fukuoka City think it is an easy place to live and would like to continue to live there(figure1).
What an attractive city!
So, would people outside of Fukuoka City want to live in Fukuoka City?
The results of a nationwide survey conducted by a private real estate company provide the answer. Fukuoka City is ranked first among all municipalities in Japan in terms of “the best place to live(figure2). Since this survey excludes respondents who live in the city themselves, it seems that a great many people outside of Fukuoka City would also like to live in Fukuoka City. Moreover, since the survey started in 2020, Fukuoka City has been ranked No. 1 for four consecutive years.
The ease of living that many Fukuoka City residents feel may be slowly spreading to people outside of Fukuoka City.
Fukuoka City is the most desirable place to live in Japan.
Other than the city in which each lives
And Fukuoka City continues to see an increasing number of immigrants from both Japan and abroad.
Although the number of foreign residents temporarily declined due to the coronavirus pandemic, it has now recovered and is over 40,000 and continues to reach record highs again(figure3).
The number of foreigners who consider Fukuoka City a “desirable” city to live in is steadily increasing. Excellent choice!
figure3 Trends in the Number of Foreign Residents, Fukuoka City
Source: Fukuoka City Basic Resident Register
Want to visit FUKUOKA?
Recovery from the coronavirus pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic began in 2020. Prior to that, the number of visitors to Fukuoka City had continued to increase, and the number of Fukuoka Airport passengers continued to reach record highs, approaching 25 million per year. Although the coronavirus pandemic caused a significant drop, as of August of this year, the number of Fukuoka Airport passengers is still recovering rapidly as restrictions on the movement of people are eased worldwide(figure4).
Fukuoka Airport ranks third in Japan in terms of the number of passengers(figure5). With numerous international flights, mainly to Asia, as well as domestic flights, Fukuoka Airport has become the destination of choice for many people.
figure4 Trends in Numbers of Passengers at Fukuoka Airport
Source:”Airport Management Evaluation”(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
*2023 Preliminary(As of Aug.)
figure5 Numbers of Passengers at Japanese Airports 2022 (Top Tier Airports only)
Source:”Airport Management Evaluation”(Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)
Due to the increase in the number of visitors to Fukuoka City, many hotels are still under construction in the city. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the number of hotel and other guest rooms in Fukuoka City continues to increase(figure6). Many hotels are also planned for development projects in the city center, such as “Tenjin Big Bang” and “Hakata Connected”.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, hotel room occupancy rates remained very high, exceeding 80%. Fukuoka City has many opportunities for large numbers of people to visit at once for international conferences, sports games, concerts, and other events, and there were times when it was difficult to make reservations during major events. The occupancy rate dropped sharply in 2020, when the global spread of the Covid-19 stopped the movement of people, but recovered sharply to the previous level in 2023, when movement restrictions were eased(figure7).
figure6 Trends in the number of hotel rooms, Fukuoka City
Source:Fukuoka City* Values for 2023 and 2024 are planned.
figure7 Trends in the Occupancy Rate of Hotels, Fukuoka City
Source:Japan Tourism Agency
(As of Jun.2023)
Want to work in FUKUOKA?
Labor force of nearly 1 million people
Approximately 920,000 people work in Fukuoka City at private establishments alone(figure8), and 970,000 people work in Fukuoka City if public establishments are included.
The total population of Fukuoka City was approximately 1.61 million in 2020, but the daytime population swells to approximately 1.77 million as many people commute to Fukuoka City from surrounding cities and towns.
The ratio of daytime to nighttime population is 109.8%, which is the highest after Osaka City, the 23 wards of Tokyo, and Nagoya City, and the largest among regional cities(figure9).
Fukuoka City is also a hub city for neighboring regions in terms of employment.
figure8 Trends in the Number of Establishments & Employees, Fukuoka City
Source: Economic Census* Excluding public service *Private sector only
*The 2021 Economic Census has changed the survey method from the previous one,
and past figures are provided for reference only
figure9 Day/night population ratio, Major Cities (2020)
Source:Census2020
*Day/night population ratio：Ratio of daytime population per 100 permanent residents; above 100, there is more incoming population than outgoing.
Changing to industries in step with the times
Approximately 90% of Fukuoka City workers are tertiary industry employees, the highest percentage of tertiary industry employees among the 21 largest cities, and many are engaged in the service industry(figure10).
By industry sector, the wholesale/retail and medical/welfare sectors are particularly prevalent, but a look at changes since 2016 shows that in addition to medical and welfare services, the information and communications industry, academic research, and professional and technical services industries have also increased, indicating that the industries in which people work in Fukuoka City are changing in line with the changing needs of the times(figure11).
*Because the survey method was different in 2016, the increase/decrease numbers for 2021 are for reference only.
figure10 Share of Private Sector Employees by Sector of Industry, Major Cities (2021)
Source: Economic Census2021
figure11 Number of employees and change in number of employees by industry category in Fukuoka City (2016-2021) *Reference value
Source: Economic Census* Excluding public service
*The 2021 Economic Census has changed the survey method from the previous one,
and the increase/decrease figures are for reference only.
Attention from aspiring entrepreneurs
The opening rate is the highest among the 21 largest metropolitan areas(figure12).
Fukuoka City is expanding the base of startups and supporting their growth, centering on “Fukuoka Growth Next”, an incubation facility for public-private partnerships, in order to encourage startups to create new value.
From changing fields of work in step with the times to the challenges of the next generation of work styles, Fukuoka City attracts a diverse range of workers.
figure12 The Business Entry Rate, Major Large-City Areas (2022)
Source:Statistical data by employment security office for each region, including each major city
surveyed, collected, and organized by URC.
Total of employment offices including each major city; areas do not correspond to administrative districts