Single Japanese women under the age of 30 have seen their average income rise to 218,156 yen.

This is according to a survey by the country's Ministry of Internal Affairs, which found that it has exceeded that of their male counterparts, which stands at 215,515.

It is the first time women's earnings have outstripped men's in Japan and Reuters reports female pay has risen in the past five years by 11.4 per cent, while male workers have seen theirs dip by seven per cent as a result of the global financial downturn.

Chief economist at the Dai-ichi Life Research Institute Hideo Kumano told the news source: "Men's salaries were far higher. They took a far bigger hit when the economy worsened."

He added that manufacturing, which has been hit hard by the international crisis, tends to be male-dominated, with more women in roles in sectors such as healthcare and finance.

Located in north-eastern Asia, Japan has a population of more than 126 million people.

Posted by Sarah Dixon