Survey on Borrowing Reality of 10-30 Year-Olds | Student Loan Usage is Only 1.1%, 1/22 of Scholarships. Scholarships are the Most Common Entry Point for Borrowing

Amigo Media, an information media that answers students' questions about money (operated by Amigo Corporation, headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, https://www.gakusei-loan.com/media/), analyzed 1,069 people aged 10-30 out of 2,000 men and women nationwide who were surveyed on their awareness of borrowing and household finances. We would like to inform you of the results.

In recent years, against the backdrop of rising prices and the spread of non-regular employment, the household finances of young people are becoming increasingly inseparable from borrowing. While the burden of repaying scholarship loans is attracting attention as a social issue, there is little quantitative data showing where young people's "first entry point for borrowing money" is. This survey analyzes the borrowing sources, triggers, and payment behaviors of young people and organizes the reality.

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Survey on Borrowing Reality of 10-30 Year-Olds | Student Loan Usage is Only 1.1%, 1/22 of Scholarships. Scholarships are the Most Common Entry Point for Borrowing

Key Points of This Survey

The top borrowing source for young people is scholarships (32.0% of those with borrowing experience). Private student loans are only 1.1%, with a usage rate difference of about 22 times (scholarships 262 people, student loans 12 people).

87.6% of borrowing triggered by educational expenses are scholarships. The maximum borrowing amount for scholarship users averages 2,480,000 yen, with 70.6% exceeding 1,000,000 yen.

Non-regular employees (part-time, temporary) have twice the borrowing for living expenses compared to regular employees (40% vs. 20%). The experience of insufficient end-of-month balance is 71.6%.

Payments are 72.4% code settlement and 13.9% postpaid apps, showing a trend of "postponement". The insufficient end-of-month balance is 61.6%, higher than all generations (54.9%).

Survey Overview and How to Read the Numbers

This survey asked 2,000 people nationwide 12 multiple-choice questions about money and payments. The survey period was from May 20, 2026, to June 2, and responses were collected through CrowdWorks.

This release analyzes 1,069 people aged 10-30 (53.4% of the total). Among them, 75.8% (810 people) had borrowing experience. The analysis of borrowing reasons and amounts is based on those with borrowing experience as the denominator.

Survey Method and Respondent Breakdown

67.0% of respondents have experience with side jobs, which is higher than the general population. This indicates that respondents are mostly CrowdWorks registrants, who are familiar with telecommuting and internet use. The gender composition is slightly female-heavy.

Therefore, the figures in this survey are not the average for all of Japan but are used as material to read the trends of borrowing and household finances among young people. They are not used for estimating the entire population including non-respondents.

Note that detailed aggregations by employment type and gender, mentioned later, include categories with only a few dozen respondents. These should be referred to as trends, not as definitive statements.

Top Borrowing Source for Young People is "Scholarships", "Student Loans" is 1.1%

We asked 10-30 year-olds about all borrowing sources they have used so far (multiple answers). The most common was scholarships, used by 32.0% of those with borrowing experience (24.5% of all respondents).

The entry point for borrowing is expanding to scholarships, cards, and nearby methods

*Note: Based on 810 borrowing-experienced individuals aged 10-30. In addition, student loans (Amigo, etc.) are 1.5%.

1st Scholarships (Japan Student Services Organization, etc.) 32.0%

2nd Credit card cash advances 27.2%

3rd Borrowing from family and relatives 26.8%

3rd Acom 26.8%

5th Bank card loans 22.3%

6th Promise 18.3%

While scholarships are the most widely used entry point for borrowing, the use of private student loans is only 1.1% of all respondents and 1.5% of those with borrowing experience. There is a usage rate difference of about 22 times between scholarships and student loans (scholarships 262 people, student loans 12 people).

Borrowing for education is almost entirely covered by scholarships

When focusing on young people who answered "education fees, tuition" as the trigger for borrowing, 87.6% of their borrowing sources were scholarships. Student loans do not appear in the top ranks.

Furthermore, the maximum borrowing amount for young people using scholarships averages 2,480,000 yen, with 70.6% exceeding 1,000,000 yen. Borrowing for education tends to become high-cost and long-term debt in the form of scholarships.

The private option of student loans remains in a very small position in young people's borrowing, both in terms of usage rate and recognition.

The most common trigger for borrowing among 10-30 year-olds is "insufficient living expenses"

We asked 10-30 year-olds with borrowing experience to choose the most applicable trigger for their borrowing.

*Note: Based on 810 borrowing-experienced individuals aged 10-30.

1st Continuous shortage of living expenses 26.3%

2nd Large purchases (home appliances, cars, etc.) 17.3%

3rd Sudden expenses (medical expenses, weddings, funerals, etc.) 17.0%

4th Education fees, tuition 16.9%

5th Gambling, speculation 8.6%

The age at which borrowing began was 42.0% in their early 20s and 22.7% in their teens, with approximately 65% experiencing their first borrowing by their early 20s. Borrowing starts from a young age, before and after entering society.

Even among 10-30 year-olds, borrowing methods differ depending on employment status. Non-regular employees have twice the borrowing for living expenses compared to regular employees

The composition of borrowing triggers and sources varies depending on employment status.

The percentage of those who answered "continuous shortage of living expenses" as the trigger for borrowing was 20% for regular employees, while it was 40% for part-time and temporary workers, twice as high. Part-time and temporary workers also have a 71.6% experience of insufficient end-of-month balance.

*Note: Based on borrowing-experienced individuals in each category.

Regular employees: Shortage of living expenses as a trigger 20% / Insufficient end-of-month balance 63.5%

Part-time, temporary workers: Shortage of living expenses as a trigger 40% / Insufficient end-of-month balance 71.6%

The more non-regular employees support their livelihood, the closer they get to consumer finance

Even among non-regular employees, borrowing sources differ between part-time, temporary workers and contract, dispatched workers. Both categories have about 80% female respondents and similar age compositions, but even among women, contract and dispatched workers have a higher usage rate of consumer finance.

Part-time, temporary workers (women): Usage of consumer finance 29.1% / Multiple usage 16.4%

Contract, dispatched workers (women): Usage of consumer finance 41.8% / Multiple usage 27.3%

*Note: Based on 134 part-time, temporary women and 55 contract, dispatched women.

The way of working itself divides the way of borrowing, not by gender or age. There may be differences in the nature of employment, such as contract and dispatched workers having more primary earners supporting their livelihood, and part-time and temporary workers having more workers with supplementary income. However, this survey did not ask about household conditions, so this is within the scope of interpretation.

Young people's (10-30 years old) payments are "postponed," with over 60% experiencing insufficient end-of-month balance

Payment methods for 10-30 year-olds include credit cards (one-time payment) 77.6%, code settlement 72.4%, subscription 39.9%, and postpaid apps 13.9%, with non-cash methods widely used. Code settlement, subscription, and postpaid apps are utilized