Do Goals for Self-Investment Shift with Age? Youth Prioritize 'Income Growth' While Seniors Seek 'Health and Youthfulness'

For-it Inc., which develops and operates the affiliate platform 'afb', conducted a survey of 500 people across Japan regarding 'Spring Self-Investment' and summarized the characteristics by age group and other factors.

[Background of the Survey] In recent years, interest in reskilling, side hustles, and asset formation has grown, and the term 'self-investment' has become widely permeated. However, even with the same self-investment, the desired outcomes vary greatly from person to person. Some aim for income increases or career formation, while others prioritize health maintenance or lifelong learning. Therefore, this survey was conducted to understand what kind of individual people ultimately hope to become through self-investment.

[Survey Overview] - Target Audience: Men and women aged 10-60 nationwide - Sample Size: 500 people - Survey Method: Internet research - Date: March 2, 2026

[Goal of Self-Investment: 'Staying Healthy and Youthful' Outperforms Income Growth] When asked, 'What do you want to become as a result of self-investment?', the most common response among respondents aged 10-60 nationwide was 'wanting to remain physically and mentally healthy and youthful' at 46.8%. This was followed by 'wanting to increase income or earn side income' (35.6%) and 'wanting to be an 'intellectual adult' who continues to learn forever' (21.4%).

[Self-Investment Goals Vary by Occupation] By occupation, it is clear that the purpose of self-investment varies significantly depending on the position and work style. Among company employees and public servants, 'wanting to remain physically and mentally healthy and youthful' was the highest at 44.2%, while 'wanting to increase income or earn side income' was also 30.4%, showing a tendency to prioritize both health and income. Among the self-employed and management, 'wanting to increase income or earn side income' was high at 39.4%, reflecting a strong desire to link self-investment directly to business growth and profit expansion. For housewives, 'wanting to remain physically and mentally healthy and youthful' was the top response at 50.0%. For students, part-timers, and temporary workers, 'wanting to increase income or earn side income' was the highest at 42.2%, suggesting a focus on future employment and establishing a financial foundation.

[Higher Income Leads to Greater Emphasis on Health and Expertise] By household income level, it is clear that desired outcomes for self-investment vary significantly. Among households with less than 5 million yen in income, 'wanting to remain physically and mentally healthy and youthful' was the top response at 41.3%, but 'wanting to increase income or earn side income' was at a similar level (39.4%). For households with between 5 million and 10 million yen, 'wanting to remain healthy and youthful' increased significantly to 52.9%. With a certain level of economic stability, interest appears to be shifting from income growth to improving health and quality of life. For households with more than 10 million yen, 'wanting to remain healthy and youthful' was the highest at 51.9%, and 'wanting to become an 'irreplaceable talent' at their current workplace' was higher than in other groups at 20.4%. High-income earners show a greater drive toward enhancing their expertise and market value than simply increasing their income.