The Japanese government announced on Friday that the number of My Number national identification cards issued has surpassed 100 million, held by nearly 80 percent of the population. This milestone, nearly 10 years after the program's launch, stems from government incentives and the integration of health insurance card functions. Adoption has grown, though data security concerns and low usage rates persist.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that as of Wednesday, 100,029,804 My Number cards had been issued, representing 80.3 percent of Japan's population. Internal Affairs Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a news conference, "This is the result of various efforts including expanding the convenience of the cards."
The issuance of My Number cards began in January 2016, but initial uptake was slow due to concerns about personal data leaks. Applications surged in 2022 with the introduction of the "My Number Points" program, offering up to 20,000 yen in rewards. Further growth followed the announcement of abolishing traditional health insurance cards and shifting to My Number-based insurance cards.
The government has promoted the card's use across sectors, enabling online tax filing, certificate issuance at convenience stores, and bank account openings. On Tuesday, the system fully transitioned to the My Number insurance card as the standard, replacing the old health insurance card. By the end of October, about 88 percent of cardholders had registered for the insurance function, but only 37.1 percent were using it.
While adoption has increased through incentives and integrations, persistent concerns over data security and low usage as a new insurance card highlight ongoing challenges in Japan's digitalization efforts.