Japan Government White Paper finds over 70% concerned about future healthcare, welfare staff shortages

By Barrier Free Japan

October 13 2026

TOKYO – Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released the ‘2026 White Paper on Health, Labour and Welfare’, an annual report on health, labour and welfare for Fiscal Year 2025 at a Cabinet meeting on September 29th.

The report focused greatly on expected labour shortages which are thought will become even more severe by 2040, the role that technology will play in the care sector in the future with a strong emphasis on boosting productivity through the adoption of technology, such as artificial intelligence.

The report also notes that survey results showed that more than 70% of the public are concerned about future staff shortages in healthcare, long-term care and welfare services; identifying long-term care as the sector facing particularly severe labour shortages.

Regarding disability welfare services, the report pointed out that the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) remains underdeveloped and that psychological barriers remain to efforts to improve productivity. It also noted significant differences in the adoption of these technologies between individual service providers and types of services.