How do kids in Japan participate in decisions about family purchases?

We sought answers to this question in a recent survey of 4,900 children aged 6 to 11 and 4,100 parents across 30 countries, including Japan. Here are key insights about Japanese kids’ influence on what their families buy:

Kids in Japan help their parents with household tasks less than their global peers. Just over half of Japanese parents say their kids help out at home (56%), below the global average of 69%. About 4 in 10 parents say their kids help to cook, shop and clean (37% Japan, 42% global). About a fifth of Japanese parents (22%) say their kids help with childcare, quite a bit below the global average of 37%.

In Japanese households, less help comes from outside the home. In Japan, 37% of households receive help from family members that live outside the home, compared with an average of 55% globally. They are also less likely to get financial help (19% Japan, 31% globally).

Japanese kids have a big influence on household purchases. Kids 6 to 11 in Japan are much more likely than their global peers to say that they play a role in decisions about what to buy for their family (86% Japan, 74% global). And their parents agree (84% Japan, 77% global)!

Food/grocery and entertainment purchases are where Japanese kids have the most influence. When asked where their kids have the most influence, the top categories that Japanese parents mentioned are food and grocery shopping (90%), entertainment (88%), electronics (85%), restaurants (84%) and vacations (76%).