How Much Time Do People Actually Spend on Their Phones? Japan's Survey Data
Average screen time figures from Japan's government statistics and major private surveys, in one table — plus why the numbers disagree with each other, and the two figures that matter more than the average.
When you start wondering whether you are on your phone too much, the first thing you look for is the average. The catch is that published figures use different populations and different measurement methods, so they cannot be compared directly. Here are the main numbers from Japan, and how to read them.
The main figures in one table
| Survey | Population | Key numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “Survey on Usage Time of Information and Communications Media” (FY2024, published June 2025) | All ages | Weekday internet use 181.8 minutes, ahead of television at 154.7 minutes |
| Job Soken, “2024 Survey on Smartphone Dependence” (November 2024) | 606 working adults | Average use 264.7 minutes; the amount respondents could accept was 197.2 minutes |
| Children and Families Agency, “Survey on the Internet Use Environment of Young People” (FY2024, published March 2025) | Young people | Weekday average about 5 hours 2 minutes; high school 6 h 19 m, junior high 5 h 2 m, elementary 3 h 44 m |
| MMD Institute, “2024 Regular Survey on Smartphone Dependence” (July 2024) | 10,000 people aged 18–69 | 62.5% describe themselves as overusing their phone (23.4% heavily, 39.1% somewhat) |
| SHIBUYA109 lab., “Generation Z Attention Detox” (published March 2026) | 574 people aged 15–24 | 62.2% report phone fatigue; 67.6% want to cut their social media time |
The MMD Institute survey is read in more detail in what people say they overuse, and the SHIBUYA109 lab. survey in 62.2% of Gen Z report phone fatigue.
Why 181.8 and 264.7 sit side by side
They are measuring different things.
- 181.8 minutes is internet use across all devices and all age groups, including older respondents, which pulls the average down.
- 264.7 minutes is self-reported phone use among working adults only.
- About 5 hours 2 minutes is young people’s internet use; 75.4% of them were using a smartphone to get online.
Self-reported figures also drift from measured ones. Screen Time and Digital Wellbeing count differently again — background audio, for instance. If you compare, compare within the same method.
The hours climb as the rules disappear
In the Children and Families Agency data, 33.2% of high school students are online seven or more hours a day (17.7% nine hours or more). Over the same age range, the share saying their household has rules about device use falls from 82.1% (elementary) to 73.0% (junior high) to 46.6% (high school). The hours rise exactly where the structure thins out.
Two numbers that beat the average
Rather than measuring yourself against a national mean, look at these.
- Your gap. In the Job Soken survey the distance between actual use (264.7 minutes) and the amount respondents were at peace with (197.2 minutes) was over an hour. Work out what that distance is for you.
- Whether anything is suffering. The same survey reported sleep problems for 71.7% and reduced concentration for 48.4% of respondents. Long hours with no cost attached are not a problem to solve.
So what do you do with the numbers?
One thing is enough:
- Open Screen Time (iPhone) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) and read your measured figure.
- Decide the number you would be at peace with, and subtract.
- Take the single time of day where that gap is largest, and change one condition in that window only.
Awareness on its own does not move the hours. After the city of Toyoake introduced an ordinance on appropriate smartphone use, its resident survey found 24.5% saying they had become more conscious of their use — while only 3.4% said their usage time had decreased.
To see where your own use is costing you, try the phone overuse self-check. To start with the evening, see how to stop using your phone before bed.
Sources
- Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, “FY2024 Survey on Usage Time of Information and Communications Media” (published June 2025): https://www.soumu.go.jp/menu_news/s-news/01iicp01_02000125.html
- Job Soken (Persol Career), “2024 Survey on Smartphone Dependence” (606 working adults, surveyed November 2024): https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000227.000013597.html
- Children and Families Agency (Japan), “FY2024 Survey on the Internet Use Environment of Young People” (published March 2025): https://www.cfa.go.jp/policies/youth-kankyou/internet_research/results-etc/r06
- MMD Institute, “2024 Regular Survey on Smartphone Dependence” (10,000 people aged 18–69, surveyed July 2024): https://mmdlabo.jp/investigation/detail_2358.html
- SHIBUYA109 lab., “Survey on Generation Z’s Attention Detox” (574 people aged 15–24, published March 2026): https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000403.000033586.html
- City of Toyoake, resident survey on the ordinance promoting appropriate smartphone use: https://www.city.toyoake.lg.jp/22107.htm
These surveys differ in population, timing and method, so the figures cannot be compared directly. This article summarises publicly published research and is not medical advice.
FAQ
- How much time do people in Japan spend on their phones each day?
- It depends on the survey, because populations and methods differ. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (FY2024) put weekday internet use across all ages at 181.8 minutes; Job Soken's survey of 606 working adults (November 2024) found self-reported phone use of 264.7 minutes; and the Children and Families Agency (FY2024) put young people's weekday internet use at about 5 hours 2 minutes.
- Why do the surveys give such different numbers?
- They measure different things. The 181.8 minutes is internet use across all devices and all ages, while the 264.7 minutes is self-reported phone use among working adults only. Self-reported figures also drift from measured ones, so compare only within the same method.
- If my screen time is above average, should I cut it?
- Your own gap — the distance between your use and the amount you would be at peace with — and whether anything is suffering tell you more than the average. Long hours with no cost attached are not a problem to solve. If you do cut back, pick the one time of day with the largest gap and change one condition there.
See the time you got back, in days
BrainNap
The time you blocked is logged every day and shown as days.
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