The average winnings for a Japanese keirin professional have grown by over a third in just three years, according to data published by MoreCadence.

Total prize money in 2024 was 35.3 billion yen (US$ 223.6 million), shared among 2394 male and female riders. That works out to an average annual income of 14.6 million yen, or US$ 92,500 per rider.

That compares to an average of 10.8 million yen (US$ 68,400) in 2021, with 2360 riders.

Average income had been remarkably steady into the Covid years, at around 9-10 million yen (US$ 60,000); but following a drop in 2019, it has been growing at a rapid pace.

The total number of professional riders has remained relatively stable, ranging between 2,330 and 2,394 men and women.

That figure includes a slow but steady increase in the number of women competing in Girls Keirin, since its reintroduction in 2012. From just 33 women in its first year, the total has grown by 10-18 riders each year, with 201 in 2024.

But the graph shows that the gap in average earnings between men and women is not narrowing. Average earnings for male riders are typically over 50% higher than average women’s earnings.