Contents
- Karting participation statistics: JAF driver license issuance by category
- Karting participation statistics: JAF entrant license issuance
- Karting participation statistics: regional kart driver licenses in Japan
- FIA karting participation statistics: championship fields and event counts
- FIA karting participation statistics: driver rankings
- Sources
Karting participation statistics: JAF driver license issuance by category
License issuance is one way to describe formal karting activity in Japan. JAF reports cases of kart licenses issued by category and year. These figures are not a count of recreational drivers, track visitors, or necessarily unique people. A license issuance is the unit recorded; it should not be treated as a direct headcount of everyone who participated in karting. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
| JAF kart driver license category | 2022 issuances | 2023 issuances | 2024 issuances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic B | 1,655 | 1,611 | 1,589 |
| Domestic A | 1,126 | 1,104 | 1,090 |
| Junior B | 128 | 134 | 157 |
| Junior A | 38 | 35 | 46 |
| International EF | 533 | 539 | 496 |
| International G | 16 | 11 | 21 |
| Total, all categories | 3,496 | 3,434 | 3,399 |
Source for every value in the table: JAF motorsport statistics — kart. JAF labels the measure as license issuances, in cases (件).
Across the years shown, JAF’s total driver license issuance count was 3,496 in 2022, 3,434 in 2023 and 3,399 in 2024. Domestic B was the largest listed category in each year, with 1,655, 1,611 and 1,589 issuances respectively. Domestic A recorded 1,126 in 2022, 1,104 in 2023 and 1,090 in 2024. These figures describe the recorded series; they do not explain the reasons behind its changes. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
The junior categories show a different sequence. Junior B issuances were 128 in 2022, 134 in 2023 and 157 in 2024. Junior A had 38, 35 and 46 in those years. The two categories are much smaller in this table than Domestic A and Domestic B, but the counts alone do not show what proportion of young drivers or of all kart participants they represent. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
The international categories are also worth keeping distinct. JAF recorded International EF issuances of 533 in 2022, 539 in 2023 and 496 in 2024. International G recorded 16, 11 and 21. JAF notes that international categories changed from 2022 to E, F and G. The labels used here follow the table for each year; the numbers should not be read as an unchanged classification across the full series. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
Taken together, these figures provide a consistent view of JAF’s formal license issuance by the listed category and year. They can help readers follow how the recorded categories compare within that licensing system. They cannot show how frequently holders raced, whether each issuance went to a different person, or how many people participated without these licenses. Those limits are part of what the measure means, rather than a reason to dismiss it.
Karting participation statistics: JAF entrant license issuance
JAF also reports entrant license issuances, divided into domestic and international categories. These are entrant licenses, a different licensing measure from the driver licenses above. The counts use the same cases unit (件), but the categories should not be added together to create a total number of drivers or participants. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
| JAF kart entrant license category | 2023 issuances | 2024 issuances | 2025 issuances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 186 | 178 | 173 |
| International | 41 | 48 | 52 |
| Total | 227 | 226 | 225 |
Source for every value in the table: JAF motorsport statistics — kart. Values are entrant license issuances.
The reported total was 227 in 2023, 226 in 2024 and 225 in 2025. That narrow range sits alongside different movements in the two categories: domestic issuances were 186, 178 and 173, while international issuances were 41, 48 and 52. The totals therefore describe a nearly level series across these years, while the category counts move in opposite directions. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
That pattern is specific to licenses issued. The data do not identify how many unique people or organizations were represented, how many events took place, or whether a license holder entered a particular race. Entrant licenses can add context to the formal structure around karting, but they are not event attendance or a direct estimate of the active competitor population. Comparing them with driver-license issuances or FIA competition figures requires keeping each unit and population separate.
Karting participation statistics: regional kart driver licenses in Japan
JAF’s regional table organizes driver-license issuances across Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, Chubu, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu. It reports totals across driver license categories for 2024 and 2025. The table describes where issuances were assigned, not a census of kart drivers living in each region or of local recreational activity. JAF notes that applications with an unidentified region are included in the applicable license-type total. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
| Region | 2024 driver license issuances | 2025 driver license issuances |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 93 | 86 |
| Tohoku | 131 | 135 |
| Kanto | 1,812 | 1,756 |
| Chubu | 515 | 482 |
| Kansai | 481 | 482 |
| Chugoku | 120 | 116 |
| Shikoku | 41 | 40 |
| Kyushu | 157 | 142 |
Source for every value in the table: JAF motorsport statistics — kart. Regional totals cover driver license categories.
Kanto had the largest regional total in both years, with 1,812 issuances in 2024 and 1,756 in 2025. Chubu and Kansai had 515 and 481 respectively in 2024. In 2025, both regions recorded 482. This is a comparison of regional issuance totals, not an explanation of the difference between regions or years. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
The other regional series also show variation. Hokkaido recorded 93 in 2024 and 86 in 2025; Tohoku, 131 and 135; Chugoku, 120 and 116; Shikoku, 41 and 40; Kyushu, 157 and 142. Among these regions, Tohoku was the only one with a higher reported total in 2025. The table does not say why these counts differ, nor does it measure track availability, local population interest or competitive strength. Source: JAF motorsport statistics — kart
Read within its stated scope, the regional table gives a geographic view of JAF driver-license issuance. It is useful for seeing where the recorded cases are concentrated and how those regional totals compare between the listed years. JAF’s note about unidentified regions matters when interpreting the allocation: the source includes such applications in the applicable license-type total, so the regional breakdown should not be mistaken for a complete residence-based accounting of individual drivers.
FIA karting participation statistics: championship fields and event counts
FIA reporting adds measures from named competitions and events in 2024. The units vary: the FIA Karting Championships are reported in entries and different drivers; the Academy Trophy in drivers and represented nations; and the Motorsport Games in karting drivers across disciplines. These are specific competitive programs, not a worldwide census of everyone who karted during the year. Source: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit
| FIA karting measure | Reported figure | Scope stated by FIA |
|---|---|---|
| FIA Karting Championships | 927 entries across 8 events | 2024 championship season |
| Different championship drivers | 629 drivers | Representing the 6 FIA Sport Regions |
| FIA Karting Academy Trophy | 51 drivers | Representing 50 nations |
| FIA Motorsport Games karting | 225 drivers | Sprint, Endurance and Slalom |
Source for every value in the table: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit. The Motorsport Games figures refer to the 2024 edition in Valencia, Spain.
The FIA Karting Championships recorded 927 entries across 8 events in the 2024 season. FIA also reported 629 different drivers, representing the 6 FIA Sport Regions. The entry total counts entries across the events, while the separate driver figure counts different drivers in the championship reporting. Both measures illuminate the field, but 927 entries should not be described as 927 separate people. The report does not provide a basis here for treating entries as a count of unique competitors. Source: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit
The FIA Karting Academy Trophy recorded 51 drivers entered in 2024, representing 50 nations. This is a specific series field and national-representation measure. It belongs alongside the championship numbers as a separate competition statistic; it is not part of the reported 629 different championship drivers unless the FIA explicitly defines it that way. Source: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit
At the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia, Spain, FIA counted 225 karting drivers across Sprint, Endurance and Slalom. The report says karting accounted for more than 30% of the 646 participants at the Games. That percentage is stated by FIA, and its denominator is all participants at that edition. It should not be extended to other FIA events or to karting participation globally. The Games figure shows the presence of karting across its named disciplines within a multi-sport event, rather than an estimate of the total karting population. Source: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit
Together, these reports describe several different forms of organized competition: a championship season with event entries, an Academy Trophy field, and kart disciplines within the Motorsport Games. Dates, event names and units anchor each statistic. Without that framing, an entry total, a driver count and a participant share can appear interchangeable when they answer distinct questions.
FIA karting participation statistics: driver rankings
The FIA report also gives counts for its International Karting Ranking (IKR) and National Karting Ranking (NKR). These figures refer to drivers featured or ranked within those systems. They are neither license issuances nor event-entry totals, and they do not represent every person who participated in karting. The report also uses different time references for the ranking figures, which should remain attached to the number being discussed. Source: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit
For the IKR, the narrative says the 2023 ranking featured 1,142 drivers. The report’s ranking-growth display separately shows 1,123 drivers in the International Karting Ranking, without specifying a distinct ranking year for that display figure. Both values are reported here as presented. The checked material does not reconcile them, so the display number should not be silently substituted for the 2023 narrative count, or vice versa. Source: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit
For the NKR, FIA says the number of drivers ranked reached 1,120 in 2024. Its report also states that the ranking increased by 221% compared with 2023. That percentage is FIA’s reported comparison, not a calculation made from the counts here. The figures concern drivers ranked in the National Karting Ranking and should not be treated as a count of all national-level kart drivers. Source: FIA Activity Report 2024 — Circuit
The IKR and NKR represent separate ranking scopes. The 2023 IKR narrative figure, the IKR display figure with no explicit year, and the 2024 NKR total each describe drivers within a particular ranking context. This distinction allows the statistics to show the reach reported for the FIA’s rankings while preserving the scope and time reference attached to each figure.