Survey: 65% of Japanese seniors prefer robot-assisted nursing homes, willing to pay 8% more
HealthcareLdr · x · 2026-10-06
A survey of 4,314 Japanese adults aged 55-75 challenges the assumption that the wealthy will pay extra for human care.
- 65% of respondents preferred a nursing home where robots and ICT handle a substantial share of care in one domain (lifting, monitoring, or conversation) over an all-human facility
- Average willingness to pay was 8% above typical nursing home fees
- Robots even won the conversation/companionship domain, 59% to 41% — possibly because robots mean more independence
- Acceptance ranked: mobility assistance > monitoring > communication; prior awareness of caregiving robots boosted both acceptance and WTP
- A back-of-envelope estimate suggests benefits of adoption, especially mobility-aid robots, far exceed costs
Contrast: a 2017 Pew survey found 59% of Americans didn't want a robot caregiver.
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