The proportion of people who do not feel financially comfortable and have no prospect for economic stability stood at a record 63.2%, a Cabinet Office survey has shown.
The result, which reflects rising prices, was the worst since the subject was added to the poll in 2008, according to a Cabinet Office official.
In the public opinion survey on social consciousness, respondents were asked to choose reasons for being dissatisfied with society, with multiple answers allowed.
Of the total respondents, 28.6% cited the difficulty of raising children. This was followed by the difficulty for young people to become independent in society, cited by 28.2%, and the difficulty for women to play active roles in society, selected by 26.2%.
Asked about the areas in which Japan is heading in a bad direction, 69.4%, the largest proportion, chose rising prices, almost unchanged from 70.5% in the previous survey conducted in 2022. The country's fiscal condition came next at 58.4%, followed by the economy at 58.1%.
The survey also asked whether the public should put priority on society or their personal lives. The share of people seeing the need for more emphasis on society fell 3.1 percentage points to 55.3%, while that of those who chose personal lives grew 3.9 points to 43.8%.
The survey was conducted between Nov. 16 and Dec. 24 last year, covering 3,000 people aged 18 or over. Valid responses came from 57.1%.