April 8, 2010

Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use in Japan:
Results of JAMA’s Fiscal 2009 Survey

The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) is pleased to release the results of the survey it conducted on mini-vehicles in Japan in fiscal year 2009 (ending March 31, 2010). JAMA has conducted this survey in odd-numbered years since 1981 in order to profile trends in mini-vehicle ownership and use. Based on 3,031 responses, survey results are summarized as follows, with more detailed information provided below for reference.

(1) Basic Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use

  • Mini-vehicle ownership is high among women and senior citizens, against a backdrop of a general shift to smaller cars.
  • The single most prevalent use of mini-commercial vehicles (including minivans and mini-trucks) is for commercial business purposes.

(2) Mini-Vehicle Use in Relation to Population Density

  • Mini-vehicle ownership rates are high in smaller urban areas and in rural districts less well served by public transportation, where these vehicles provide the convenient mobility required for the purposes of commuting to work and conducting errands as well as other everyday activities.

(3) Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use by Women

  • Minicars are a key means of mobility for working women, who also use these vehicles to carry out everyday household management and childcare-related activities.

(4) Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use by Senior Citizens

  • For elderly users, mini-vehicles provide the indispensable means by which they carry out errands and other essential activities, including making hospital visits.

(5) The Impact of Economic Conditions on Mini-Vehicle Ownership

  • Among the respondents who had recently shifted to mini-vehicle ownership, many saw their annual income decline during the two years following the last survey in 2007. Economic conditions can therefore be assumed to have a significant impact on mini-vehicle ownership trends.

 

(Reference)
JAMA’s Fiscal 2009 Survey on Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use

1. Survey Format and Frequency

JAMA’s survey on trends in mini-vehicle use, carried out on the basis of the distribution of questionnaires, is conducted biennially in odd-numbered years.

2. Basic Description of the Fiscal 2009 Survey

Survey target Households and businesses owning mini-vehicles
Survey area Nationwide
Valid responses 3,031
Survey period Mid-May to mid-June 2009

3. Survey Results

(1) Basic Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use

  • Trends in Mini-Passenger Car Use
    • Principal drivers of minicars were primarily women (at around 60% of the total of principal drivers) and, as a result of an increase in the percentage of owners aged 60 or older, the average age of minicar owners was 48.2 years.
    • A large majority (75%) of minicar owners also owned other vehicles concurrently, with 54% of those owners also owning a standard or small-sized passenger car.
    • Among the survey respondents who purchased new minicars during the two years following the last mini-vehicle use survey in 2007, 51% were replacing used minicars with new minicars, whereas 29% (an increase from the 2007 survey data) were shifting to minicars from standard or small-sized passenger cars.
  • Trends in Mini-Commercial Vehicle Use
    • Minivans (including cab-over-engine types) were used by 40% of the mini-commercial vehicle-owning respondents for commercial business purposes, among which home delivery services topped the list.
    • About 40% of mini-truck owners used their vehicles for agricultural work, with the other most prevalent use being for “moving around factory and other work sites.”

(2) Mini-Vehicle Use in Relation to Population Density

  • Mini-vehicle ownership rates were high in smaller urban areas and their outskirts and in rural districts. In cities/towns and rural districts with populations of less than 100,000 (which comprise 32% of the national population), an average 46% of the population owned mini-vehicles, while in cities/towns and rural districts with populations of 100,000 to 299,000 (which comprise 56% of the national population), an average 27% of the population were mini-vehicle owners. Those two populations combined (i.e., in all cities/towns and rural districts with populations under 300,000) thus constituted 73% of total nationwide mini-vehicle ownership.
  • Survey responses indicated that the availability of convenient public transport declines in proportion to decreasing local population density.
  • In districts with populations of less than 100,000, 48% of respondents who commuted to work or school by mini-vehicle said that local public transportation either would not take them to their destination or made their destination difficult to reach, with 21% indicating that as a result, if they had to rely on public transport exclusively for commuting to work, they would face the serious consequence of “having no choice but to quit” their jobs.

(3) Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use by Women

  • Mini-vehicle ownership by women aged 50 or older was high, showing an increase in the number of users in this age group. The employment rate for female mini-vehicle users was higher than the employment rate for women in the general population, for all age groups. The mobility needs of working women thus seem to be well-served by mini-vehicles.
  • A high percentage of married working women own mini-vehicles for their exclusive use, with those vehicles being used for the primary purpose of commuting to and from work. Such use is particularly high among women with preschool-aged children.
  • As regards the top criteria determining their mini-vehicle purchasing choice, more women than men cited “vehicle use considerations,” a factor that was eclipsed by “economic considerations” among married working women.
  • Respondents who were working women hypothetically facing the situation where they would not have a car available for their use affirmed the likelihood of “erratic arrival times at the workplace and at home after work,” “reduced availability of time for housework,” “inability to run errands,” and other negative consequences of being carless, which the survey results indicated would be especially acute for mothers with small children.
  • A high percentage of respondents who were working women said they would be “extremely inconvenienced” without the availability of a mini-vehicle for their use. This was particularly the case among women respondents who also expressed low levels of satisfaction with their current living circumstances.

(4) Trends in Mini-Vehicle Use by Senior Citizens

  • Survey responses indicated a rise in the average age of owners of mini-vehicles. Also, more men aged 65 or older owned mini-vehicles than women in the same age group, and average annual income among “senior households,” which typically comprise one to two persons, is lower than that of mini-vehicle owners in younger age groups.
  • Senior citizens are increasingly using mini-vehicles for shopping and other everyday errands as well as for hospital visits and “pickups/drop-offs.”
  • A high percentage of elderly respondents indicated that their purchase of a mini-vehicle was a replacement purchase, with a markedly growing number among them shifting from the use of a standard or small passenger car to a mini-vehicle. For first-time purchasers of mini-vehicles in this age group (65 or older), average annual income was dramatically lower than that of younger first-time mini-vehicle purchasers.　
  • Among likely inconveniences anticipated in the event that mini-vehicles were no longer marketed, elderly respondents cited, more frequently than younger respondents, the “impossibility of maintaining ownership of a car” because of the unaffordability of larger models and the “curtailing of an already limited cost-of-living budget.” Many also indicated that shopping excursions—a very common purpose of mini-vehicle use in this user group—would be eliminated, which would negatively impact their quality of life.
  • A large percentage of “senior” respondents affirmed their desire to continue driving and making replacement mini-vehicle purchases, with about 50% of those aged 80 or older indicating their intention to make such a purchase in the future.

(5) The Impact of Economic Conditions on Mini-Vehicle Ownership

  • Compared to 2007 survey data, mini-vehicle owners’ average annual income showed a decline. Data in this latest survey also indicated growing income disparities and decreased satisfaction with current living circumstances among the respondents.
  • Of the respondents who had shifted to mini-vehicle ownership from ownership of a larger vehicle, those with an annual income of four million yen or less comprised 43%.
  • Of the respondents who had shifted to mini-vehicle ownership from ownership of a larger vehicle during the past two years, close to one-half were men. Persons aged 50 years or older also constituted a large percentage, and their average income level was not only lower than that of younger respondents, but had declined in the preceding two years (since the 2007 survey). It can therefore be inferred that current economic conditions are promoting a transition to mini-vehicle ownership.

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