Fiscal 2026 (Reiwa 8) Kyokai Kenpo health insurance premium rate averages 9.9%, long-term care insurance rate 1.62%The health insurance rate for company employees went down a little this year
Kyokai Kenpo's average premium rate for fiscal 2026 (Reiwa 8) was lowered by 0.1 point from 10% in the previous year to 9.9%. Health insurance premium rates by prefecture are revised from the March 2026 month (payable in April), and the long-term care insurance premium rate is a uniform 1.62% nationwide (1.59% in the previous year).
Key points
- The fiscal 2026 health insurance premium rate averages 9.9% nationwide (10% in fiscal 2025). It differs by prefecture; the highest is Saga at 10.55% and the lowest is Niigata at 9.21%.
- Fukuoka was lowered to 10.11% (10.31% in fiscal 2025) and Yamaguchi to 10.15% (10.36% in fiscal 2025).
- The long-term care insurance premium rate is a uniform 1.62% nationwide, from the March 2026 month. It is up 0.03 points from 1.59% in fiscal 2025. It applies to Category 2 insured persons for long-term care insurance, aged 40 to 64, and is added to the health insurance premium rate.
- For voluntary continuing insured persons and day-laborer special insured persons, the change takes effect from the April month (payable in April). From the April 2026 month (payable in May), a nationwide uniform child and child-rearing support contribution of 0.23% is added separately.
What to do in practice
- Check that the health insurance and long-term care insurance premium rates in your payroll software are the fiscal 2026 rates for the prefectural branch where you are located.
- Check that the long-term care insurance premium rate is included in the deductions for employees aged 40 to under 65 (Category 2 insured persons for long-term care insurance).
In the health insurance you join through your company (Kyokai Kenpo), the premium is paid by multiplying your pay by a set percentage. For fiscal 2026, the national average went down very slightly, from 10% to 9.9%.
Points
- The percentage differs a little by prefecture.
- People aged 40 to 64 also pay a premium for long-term care. That percentage rose to 1.62%.
- From April 2026, a new percentage to support child-rearing is also added separately.
What the words mean
- Premium rate
- The percentage multiplied by pay and so on to decide the insurance premium.
- Kyokai Kenpo
- The organization that runs the health insurance mainly for people who work at small and medium-sized companies.
- National Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo): Kyokai Kenpo: Notice of fiscal 2026 (Reiwa 8) insurance premium rates
- National Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo): Kyokai Kenpo: Fiscal 2026 (Reiwa 8) Kyokai Kenpo premium rates will be revised from the March month (payable in April) (premium rates by prefecture)
- National Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo): Kyokai Kenpo: About Kyokai Kenpo's long-term care insurance premium rate
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.