Australia vs Japan
Australia vs Japan: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 4.9% of government spending in Australia and 3.8% of government spending in Japan, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Australia, by 1.1 percentage points, or 1.28 times that in Japan.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Australia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, Australia ranked 78 and Japan ranked 109 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Australia | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.9 | 3.8 |
| 2024 | 4.9 | 3.5 |
| 2023 | 5 | 2.9 |
| 2022 | 5 | 2.4 |
| 2021 | 4.7 | 2.5 |
| 2020 | 4.5 | 2.3 |
| 2019 | 4.8 | 2.7 |
| 2018 | 5.1 | 2.6 |
| 2017 | 5.5 | 2.5 |
| 2016 | 5.6 | 2.5 |
| 2015 | 5.2 | 2.5 |
| 2014 | 4.8 | 2.5 |
| 2013 | 4.5 | 2.4 |
| 2012 | 4.6 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 4.8 | 2.5 |
| 2010 | 5 | 2.5 |
| 2009 | 5.1 | 2.5 |
| 2008 | 5.1 | 2.7 |
| 2007 | 5.3 | 2.7 |
| 2006 | 5.3 | 2.7 |
| 2005 | 5.2 | 2.7 |
| 2004 | 5.2 | 2.8 |
| 2003 | 5.3 | 2.7 |
| 2002 | 5.4 | 2.7 |
| 2001 | 5.2 | 2.6 |
| 2000 | 5.2 | 2.5 |
| 1999 | 5.2 | 2.6 |
| 1998 | 5.4 | 2.4 |
| 1997 | 5.7 | 2.7 |
| 1996 | 5.8 | 2.6 |
| 1995 | 6 | 2.7 |
| 1994 | 6.3 | 2.8 |
| 1993 | 6.4 | 2.8 |
| 1992 | 6.4 | 3 |
| 1991 | 6.5 | 3.1 |
| 1990 | 6.8 | 3.1 |
| 1989 | 6.9 | 3.1 |
| 1988 | 7 | 3 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 150 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs Japan
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023Japan: 84.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Japan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Japan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017Japan: 3.34% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Japan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023Japan: 124 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023Japan: -0.48% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023Japan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025Japan: 92.3% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023Japan: 49 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023Japan: 29.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Japan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAustralia: 1.92% of GDP in 2025Japan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAustralia: $35.3B in 2025Japan: $59.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025Japan: $504 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAustralia: 60,000 people in 2020Japan: 261,000 people in 2020
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022Japan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020Japan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025Japan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025Japan: 28 million TIV in 2025