Highlights
- A new Japan gaming survey reveals 10.5% of people in their 20s experienced financial difficulty due to in-game purchases in 2025.
- A significant portion reported regret and financial pressure from spending.
- Although fewer young adults made in-game purchases compared to 2024, average monthly spending rose.
SMBC Consumer Finance’s new financial awareness survey in Japan has found that 10.5% of people in their 20s have overspent on in-game purchases to the point of financial difficulty. SMC surveyed around 1000 people, both men and women, aged between 20 and 29, aiming to understand the financial and spending behavior of young-adult people.
The study conducted during Nov 27-28, 2025, highlighted the continued economic impact of microtransactions in the country’s gaming ecosystem. According to the survey, Japan’s 20s population's average monthly spending on hobbies/leisure (excluding living expenses) is ¥16,596 JPY ($104.65), ¥231 ($1.46) less from 2024’s survey. Around 433 people informed that they had spent 12.2% of their monthly expenses on games in 2025.
In a more detailed analysis, 13.2% of the surveyed youth in Japan thought spending on in-game purchases to gain an advantage was beneficial, while 20.6% respondents thought games could not be enjoyed without spending. Additionally, 19.4% of respondents said they were willing to pay money to acquire wanted items and characters, whereas 30.8% said they feel proud when they acquire rare items or characters.
On the flip side, 18.8% of respondents said they regretted spending money on in-game purchases. Automaton highlighted that, given that the Japanese mobile game sector is recognized for having exceptionally high ARPU (average revenue per user), these figures are not particularly shocking.
Japan’s 20s In-Game Purchase Habit: 2025 vs. 2024
Compared with the previous year’s survey, the proportion of respondents in their 20s who reported making in-game purchases declined by 2.4%, indicating a modest cooling in participation. In 2024, 19.2% of respondents said they had made in-game purchases, with average monthly spending reaching 5,080 yen (~ $32).
However, the study highlighted that even though the number of people spending money has decreased, overall spending increased by $5 per month, indicating closer attention to the rising cost in Japan's gaming market.
The latest SMBC Consumer Finance survey reinforces that in-game spending remains a financial pressure point for a meaningful share of Japan’s 20-something population. While fewer young adults are paying for in-game purchases overall, those who do continue to spend at levels that can disrupt household budgets, particularly amid rising living costs and stagnant wage growth.
Disclaimer: The original Japanese sources were machine-translated.
