March 29, 2022 Results of 2021 Basic Survey on Information and Communications Industry (Industry-wide Results in FY2020)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) compiled the 12th results (on industry-wide results in fiscal 2020) of a basic survey on the information and communications industry. This survey was jointly conducted by MIC and METI to comprehensively grasp Japan’s information and communications industry, the results of which are outlined below.

1. Summary of results^{(*Note 1)}

1. Overview of respondent companies in the information and communications industry

• A total of 5,987 companies engaged in the information and communications industry (regardless of whether or not it was their core business). The sales of the information and communications industry in fiscal 2020 amounted to 53,449.8 billion yen (up 3.5% year on year).
• In terms of sector-by-sector sales, the telecommunications sector (landline telecommunications and mobile telecommunications businesses) recorded the highest sales, followed by the software sector and the information processing and provision service sector. These three sectors occupied 79.4% of the entire information and communications industry.
• For a total of 5,169 companies, sales from information and communications businesses were the highest among their lines of businesses. Their sales related to the information and communications industry accounted for 51,580 billion yen (up 3.6% year on year).

2. Telecommunications sector and broadcasting sector

A total of 823 companies^{(*Note 2)} engaged in telecommunications and broadcasting services (1,009 on an individual business basis^{(*Note 3)}), and their sales in fiscal 2020 accounted for 18,472.7 billion yen (up 0.5% year on year). By sector, the telecommunications sector recorded sales of 15,240.5 billion yen (up 2.5% year on year), followed by the private broadcasting sector (including terrestrial television and radio and satellite broadcasting services) with sales of 2,011.5 billion yen (down 10.7% year on year). The cable television broadcasting sector recorded sales of 506.9 billion yen (down 1.3% year on year).

3. Broadcast program production sector

A total of 313 companies engaged in broadcast program production (a total of those engaged in television and radio program production). Their total sales in fiscal 2020 accounted for 353.2 billion yen (down 8.7% year on year).
Sales per company were 1.13 billion yen (down 4.6% year on year)

4. Internet-related service sector

A total of 558 companies engaged in Internet-related service, and their sales in fiscal 2020 accounted for 3,428.9 billion yen (up 22.7% year on year).
Sales per company were 6.15 billion yen (up 16.5% year on year).

5. Information service sector

A total of 3,735 companies engaged in information service, and their sales in fiscal 2020 accounted for 18,792.8 billion yen (down 1.1% year on year). In terms of business types, commissioned software development businesses recorded the highest sales.
Sales per company were 5.03 billion yen (down 3.1% year on year).

6. Video, audio and textual information production sector

A total of 757 companies engaged in video, audio and textual information production, and their sales in fiscal 2020 accounted for 2,600.4 billion yen (down 2.0% year on year).
Sales per company were 3.44 billion yen (down 3.1% year on year).

2. Outline of the survey

1. Purpose

This survey aims to understand the status of activities of companies in the information and communications industry in Japan with a view to obtaining data to serve as the basis for policy measures relating to information and communications.

2. Organizers of the survey

MIC and METI

3. Surveyed sectors and criteria for inclusion

Enterprises with a stated capital or capital contribution of 30 million yen or more which engage in information and communications businesses (telecommunications, broadcasting, broadcast program production, Internet-related service, information service, and video, audio and textual information production sectors)*

• * Note
  that the survey covers all registered telecommunications carriers in the telecommunications sector, as well as all private broadcaster and program production businesses (television and radio programs) in the broadcasting sector.

4. Survey items

• 1.
  Survey items common to all businesses: Number of employees, lines of businesses, status of transactions and business entrustment, research and development, etc.
• 2.
  Survey items specific to individual sector: Sales by service, capital investment by business, etc.

5. Method for survey

Survey by postal mail and online survey

6. Reference date

March 31, 2021

7. Survey implementation period

From June to August 2021

8. Responses

For the full details of the survey, please see Information and Communications Statistics Database.

• * Note 1
  In this survey, Questionnaire 1 aims to investigate the matters common to all sectors, and Questionnaires 2 through 6 to investigate the matters specific to each sector, such as sales turnover by individual services and capital expenditure by individual businesses. The attached survey result is based on the tabulation of valid responses for each questionnaire, so the number of respondents differ depending on questionnaires even for the same sector. In addition, the number of companies and sales turnover described in 1. through 6. of the Summary of results are based on the tabulation of valid responses for individual questionnaire according to the attached details of results. As a result, the number of companies responded as mentioned in 1. may differ from the total number of companies mentioned in 2. through 6.
• * Note 2
  Including Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)
• * Note 3
  For a company engaged in two or more information and communications businesses, each business is counted as one company.