Japan imports about 60% of its food. Though the country usually is self-sufficient in rice, eggs, mandarin oranges and whale meat, it imports many basic goods, such as soybeans and cooking oil. Among developed nations, Japan is one of the countries with the lowest rate of food self-sufficiency. The countries with the highest rates of food self-sufficiency are Australia, Canada and the United States, all of which produce excess amounts of food. Other nations with low food self-sufficiency rates include Switzerland and South Korea.
More facts on Japan:
- Japan has the largest fishing fleets in the world and accounts for about one-sixth of the global catch each year.
- Japanese citizens enjoy one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. The average life expectancy for Japanese men and women is 82 years. In this respect, Japan ties with Andorra and ranks below only Macau.
- Japan has the ninth-largest labor force in the world and a fairly low unemployment rate. However, the Japanese government estimates that one in six citizens lives below the poverty line.