March 26, 2020Results of the 2019 Basic Survey on the Information and Communications Industry

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) conducted the tenth Basic Survey on the Information and Communications Industry to comprehensively ascertain the overall state of the information and communications industry in Japan and compiled the results into a report (industry performance in 2018).

1. Results overview (*1)

1. Overview of businesses in the information and communications industry

Overview of businesses in the information and communications industry

  • There were 5,819 companies engaging in the information and communications category (i.e., companies whose sales in the information and communications industry account for the largest portion of their revenue) and FY2018 total sales of the companies that they earned in the information and communications industry were 51.377 trillion yen (up by 2.6% from the previous year).
  • Regarding sales by sector, the telecommunications sector (fixed telecommunications and mobile telecommunications) marked the highest sales, followed by the software sector and the information processing/provision service sector. These three sectors accounted for 79.4% of total sales in the industry.
  • There were 5,026 companies classified in the information and communications category (i.e., companies whose sales within the information and communications industry account for the largest portion of their revenue). Out of these, sales from information and communications services were 49.3256 trillion yen (2.6% increase from the previous year).

2. Telecommunications and broadcasting sectors

Telecommunications and broadcasting sectors

There were 783 companies (*2) engaging in the telecommunications and broadcasting sectors (976 companies if aggregated by services (*3)) and their sales in FY2018 were 17.4578 trillion yen (0.5% decrease from the previous year). Regarding the sales by sector, the telecommunications sector were the highest at 13.9032 trillion yen (down by 0.9% from the previous year), followed by the private broadcasting sector (total includes terrestrial broadcasting (television and radio) and satellite broadcasting services, etc.) at 2.3875 trillion yen (up by 2.9% from the previous year), and the cable television broadcasting sector at 429.8 billion yen (down by 10.3% from the previous year).

3. Broadcast program production sector

Broadcast program production sector

There were 337 companies engaging in the broadcast program production sector (total includes television program production businesses and radio program production businesses), and FY2018 total sales were 341.3 billion yen (up by 5.1% from the previous year).

Sales per company in this sector were 1.01 billion yen (down by 1.9% from the previous year).

4. Internet-based service sector

Internet-based service sector

There were 530 companies engaging in the internet-based service business ,and their sales in FY2018 were 2.6897 trillion yen (up by 5.0% from the previous year).

Sales per company in this sector were 5.07 billion yen (up by 4.8% from the previous year).

5. Information service sector

Information service sector

There were 3.636 companies engaging in internet-based service business, and their sales in FY2018 were 18.5334 trillion yen (up by 5.8% from the previous year). In sales by type of service, the commissioned software development service accounted for the largest portion of the total sales.

Sales per company in this sector were 5.1 billion yen (up by 1.8% from the previous year).

6. Video picture/sound information/character information production sector

Video picture/sound information/character information production sector

There were 760 companies engaging in the video picture, sound information and character information production sector, and FY2018 total sales were 2.8369 trillion yen (down by 2.3% from the previous year). In sales by type of service, newspaper sales accounted for the largest portion of total sales.

Sales per company in this sector were 3.73 billion yen (down by 6.4% from the previous year).

2. Survey overview

1. Purpose

The purpose of this survey is to clarify the actual situation of businesses belonging to the information and communications industry in Japan, and to obtain basic data on information and communications policies.

2. Surveyors

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

3. Survey target industries and standards

The information and communications industry includes operators with capital or investments of 30 million yen or more*, and includes the following sectors: telecommunications; broadcasting; broadcast program production; internet-based service; information service; and video picture/sound information/character information production.

  • *
    However, the total number includes registered telecommunications carriers in the telecommunications sector, and private broadcasters and broadcast program producers (including television program production businesses and radio program production businesses) in the broadcasting sector.

4. Survey items

  1. 1.
    Survey item common to all industries: Number of workers, business activities, transactions and outsourcing, R & D, etc.
  2. 2.
    Survey items specific to each industry: Net sales by service, total capital investment by business, etc.

5. Survey method

Combination of mail survey and online survey

6. Survey date

March 31, 2019

7. Survey implementation period

From June to August, 2019

8. Responses

Type of survey No. of target companies No. of responses from companies Response No. of valid responses from companies
Survey item (1) (Common survey items) 10,158 6,891 67.8% 5,819
Survey items specific to each industry Survey item (2) (For telecommunications and broadcasting sectors) 1,773 920 51.9% 782
Survey item (3) (For broadcast program production sector) 843 375 44.5% 337
Survey item (4) (For internet-based service sector) 1,465 715 48.8% 530
Survey item (5) (For information services) 6,155 4,004 65.1% 3,636
Survey item (6) (For video picture/sound information/character information production sector) 1,648 916 55.6% 760

Further details of the survey results will be posted in the Information and Communications Database and e-Stat.

3. How to obtain further reference information

Reference information will be posted online on the Press Releases section of the MIC homepage (https://www.soumu.go.jp) at 2pm today, and reference information on the report can be viewed, and copies handed out, at the Economic Research Office, ICT Strategy Policy Division, Information and Communications Bureau, MIC (11th floor of the MIC building).

  • *Note 1

    The Basic Survey on the Information and Communications Industry (1) investigates items common to each industry, (2) to (6) and investigates industry-specific items, such as net sales of services, and total capital investment by businesses, etc.

    In the attached survey results, the number of respondents can differ for each survey as only valid responses are aggregated.

    In addition, in the overview of (1) to (6) the number of businesses and sales, further details of which can be seen in the attachment, the aggregation of valid responses for each survey item can differ from the number of respondents in the total of (1) and (2) to (6).

  • *Note 2
    Including Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).
  • *Note 3
    Companies that are engaged in multiple businesses are counted as 1 company for each sector.

Contact

For further information about this press release, please fill in the inquiry form and submit it to MIC on the website
https://www.soumu.go.jp/common/english_opinions.html

International Policy Division, Global Strategy Bureau, MIC

TEL: +81 3 5253 5920

FAX: +81 3 5253 5924