Reports Suggest 19% of Japanese Youth Prioritize Gaming Over Basic Needs

A recent survey has found that many young adults in Japan are spending so much money on video games that they can't afford basic living expenses.

According to a survey by SMBC Consumer Finance, nearly 19% of Japanese people aged 20 to 29 admitted they had spent so much on in-game purchases that it affected their ability to cover essential costs like food and rent.

The annual study, which surveyed 1,000 young adults in February 2025, showed that men (22.8%) were more likely than women (14.8%) to prioritize gaming purchases over necessities.

The survey also revealed that about 24% of respondents regretted spending money on video games. Despite these regrets, the number of people making in-game purchases actually increased by nearly 6% compared to last year's results.

More young adults are now agreeing with statements like "I'm willing to pay to have an advantage in-game" and "I can't enjoy the game if I don't make in-game purchases." The percentage of men who agreed they would pay for in-game advantages jumped from 16.2% in 2024 to 23.8% in 2025.

While women generally spend less on gaming than men, their spending habits are following similar patterns. About 18.4% of women reported they couldn't enjoy games without making purchases, an increase of 2.6% from 2024.

Interestingly, even as more young people are spending money on games with microtransactions (up from 15.8% to 21.6% since 2024), the average monthly spending has actually decreased. The typical monthly spend dropped from about 5,138 yen ($35.85 USD) last year to 4,247 yen ($29.63 USD) in 2025.

These findings come as mobile gaming continues to generate massive revenues worldwide. In March 2025 alone, spending through Apple's App Store and Google Play reached $6.79 billion globally, with Japan responsible for 14.3% of that amount. Popular games with in-app purchases include PUBG Mobile, Candy Crush Saga, and Pokémon Go, though many less well-known games are also generating significant profits.

The survey highlights the particular challenges of "gacha" games, which use gambling-like mechanics where players pay for a chance to win characters or items. These games are designed to be emotionally engaging, making it difficult for some players to resist spending money on them.

Industry observers note that game developers have increasingly relied on attractive character designs and power creep (where newer characters are more powerful than older ones) to encourage continued spending. This combination of engaging gameplay and gambling-like mechanisms can create challenging situations for vulnerable players.

While Japan does have some regulations on microtransactions, the survey suggests that more attention may be needed to address problematic spending behaviors in gaming, especially as these games continue to grow in popularity and profitability around the world.