How much does mackerel cost in Japan?

¥181.5 per 100 g, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.

Which Japanese city has the cheapest mackerel?

Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Sapporo was cheapest at ¥102 and Kochi the most expensive at ¥244.

How much have mackerel prices changed in Japan over the past year?

As of September 2026, +21.3% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).

How much have mackerel prices changed in Japan over the past five years?

+46.3% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 159.2.

When were mackerel prices in Japan at their highest?

Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 159.2 — a record high since the series began.

What is the difference between the index and the yen price?

This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).

Food · code 1107

Mackerel price in Japan

さば

Average retail price

¥181.5per 100 g+21.4% year on year

2026-09 · unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities

Surveyed specification: 「まさば」又は「ごまさば」，切り身，塩さばを除く

Cheapest surveyed city: ¥102 Sapporo
Priciest surveyed city: ¥244 Kochi

Price in your city:

¥179per 100 g-1.4% vs national average#27 cheapest of 52 cities

See all 52 cities, cheapest first

#	City	Price (JPY) · per 100 g
1	Sapporo	¥102
2	Mito	¥137
3	Morioka	¥140
4	Maebashi	¥149
5	Nagasaki	¥149
6	Yokohama	¥160
7	Oita	¥165
8	Osaka	¥166
9	Aomori	¥167
10	Nara	¥167
11	Fukui	¥168
12	Wakayama	¥170
13	Fukuoka	¥170
14	Nagano	¥171
15	Nagoya	¥171
16	Sakai	¥171
17	Yamagata	¥172
18	Chiba	¥174
19	Otsu	¥174
20	Saitama	¥175
21	Fukushima	¥176
22	Gifu	¥176
23	Shizuoka	¥177
24	Hiroshima	¥177
25	Kitakyushu	¥177
26	Niigata	¥178
27	Tokyo (23 wards)	¥179
28	Sendai	¥181
29	Kobe	¥181
30	Kyoto	¥182
31	Matsue	¥182
32	Akita	¥183
33	Okayama	¥185
34	Kawasaki	¥186
35	Matsuyama	¥188
36	Utsunomiya	¥189
37	Sagamihara	¥191
38	Miyazaki	¥192
39	Saga	¥194
40	Tsu	¥196
41	Hamamatsu	¥196
42	Tottori	¥199
43	Tokushima	¥199
44	Kagoshima	¥204
45	Yamaguchi	¥206
46	Kofu	¥208
47	Kumamoto	¥210
48	Toyama	¥211
49	Kanazawa	¥218
50	Naha	¥228
51	Takamatsu	¥238
52	Kochi	¥244

Retail price survey conducted by the Statistics Bureau of Japan. This is a survey average, not a shop price — actual prices vary by store. 総務省統計局小売物価統計調査 · Surveyed items and specifications

Key facts

Mackerel costs ¥181.5 per 100 g in Japan as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities, up 21.4% from a year earlier. Measured as an index, the official CPI for mackerel reads 159.2 (2020 = 100) in September 2026, up 21.3% year on year and up 46.3% over five years.

Mackerel sits in the food group of Japan's CPI basket, with 681 monthly observations from January 1970 to September 2026. The series peaked at 159.2 in September 2026 and bottomed at 12.5 in May 1970; the latest reading is at its highest recorded level. Against ten years ago it is +44.3%.

Latest CPI

159.2

2026-09 (2020=100)

YoY %

+21.3%

5y change %

+46.3%

Change since 1970-01

+1,045.3%

Annual average index by year

Annual average consumer price index for Mackerel in Japan (2020 = 100)
Year	Index	YoY %	Months
2015	99.6	+4.8%	12
2016	102.2	+2.6%	12
2017	104.9	+2.6%	12
2018	103.3	-1.5%	12
2019	102.3	-1.0%	12
2020	99.8	-2.4%	12
2021	101.6	+1.8%	12
2022	109.6	+7.9%	12
2023	122.2	+11.5%	12
2024	122.3	+0.1%	12
2025	131.4	+7.4%	12
2026	151.1	+15.0%	9

Average of the monthly index values in each year (2020 = 100). Blank months are excluded.

Average retail price by month

2026-09	¥181.5
2026-08	¥175.2
2026-07	¥162.6
2026-06	¥171.9
2026-05	¥169.6
2026-04	¥168.5
2026-03	¥169.4
2026-02	¥169.6
2026-01	¥173.7
2025-12	¥161.6
2025-11	¥155
2025-10	¥154.3
2025-09	¥149.5

Frequently asked questions

How much does mackerel cost in Japan?: ¥181.5 per 100 g, as of September 2026 — the unweighted average of 81 surveyed cities in the government's retail price survey.
Which Japanese city has the cheapest mackerel?: Among the surveyed cities in September 2026, Sapporo was cheapest at ¥102 and Kochi the most expensive at ¥244.
How much have mackerel prices changed in Japan over the past year?: As of September 2026, +21.3% year on year, measured by Japan's official consumer price index (2020 = 100).
How much have mackerel prices changed in Japan over the past five years?: +46.3% compared with the same month five years earlier. The index now reads 159.2.
When were mackerel prices in Japan at their highest?: Right now. The latest month, September 2026, is the highest reading in the series at 159.2 — a record high since the series began.
What is the difference between the index and the yen price?: This page carries two kinds of number. The index (2020 = 100) measures percentage change over time and is not a yen amount; the yen figure is an actual average retail price from the government's retail price survey. Source: 総務省統計局消費者物価指数 (e-Stat table 0003427113, nationwide, monthly).