Belgium vs Japan
Belgium vs Japan: Government debt
Government debt: 107.9% of GDP in Belgium in 2025 and 213.6% of GDP in Japan in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Japan, by 109.7 percentage points, or 2.06 times that in Belgium.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher since 2000, when it overtook Belgium.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Belgium at 122.1% of GDP and Japan at 188.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Belgium | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 107.9 | 204.8 |
| 2024 | 103.9 | 213.6 |
| 2023 | 102.5 | 220.1 |
| 2022 | 103.3 | 228 |
| 2021 | 108.7 | 222.6 |
| 2020 | 111.4 | 228.8 |
| 2019 | 97.7 | 206.3 |
| 2018 | 100.1 | 203.7 |
| 2017 | 102.5 | 203.1 |
| 2016 | 105.5 | 202.1 |
| 2015 | 105.6 | 200.1 |
| 2014 | 106.6 | 203.6 |
| 2013 | 105 | 201.2 |
| 2012 | 104.3 | 197.1 |
| 2011 | 102.7 | 190.6 |
| 2010 | 100.2 | 178.6 |
| 2009 | 99.9 | 172.9 |
| 2008 | 93.2 | 153.6 |
| 2007 | 87.3 | 150.4 |
| 2006 | 91.5 | 152.1 |
| 2005 | 95.1 | 153.4 |
| 2004 | 97.2 | 148.8 |
| 2003 | 101.7 | 140.2 |
| 2002 | 105.4 | 134.6 |
| 2001 | 108.2 | 126.8 |
| 2000 | 109.6 | 118.5 |
| 1999 | 115.4 | 113.5 |
| 1998 | 119.2 | 101.6 |
| 1997 | 124.3 | 91.3 |
| 1996 | 129 | 85.3 |
| 1995 | 131.3 | 80.7 |
| 1994 | 137.1 | 73.3 |
| 1993 | 138.9 | 63.2 |
| 1992 | 134.7 | 57.9 |
| 1991 | 131.8 | 54.1 |
| 1990 | 130.3 | 54.8 |
| 1989 | 126.4 | 56.9 |
| 1988 | 129.7 | 62.4 |
| 1987 | 129.2 | 65.8 |
| 1986 | 124.7 | 64.2 |
| 1985 | 119.4 | 59.2 |
| 1984 | 114.6 | 56.9 |
| 1983 | 110.3 | 55.1 |
| 1982 | 99.6 | 50.1 |
| 1981 | 89.7 | 45.8 |
| 1980 | 76.8 | 41.4 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Belgium | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 109.8 | 199.4 |
| 2027 | 111.6 | 196.4 |
| 2028 | 114.1 | 193.8 |
| 2029 | 116.4 | 191.5 |
| 2030 | 119.3 | 190.1 |
| 2031 | 122.1 | 188.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 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
Belgium vs Japan
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023Japan: 84.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Japan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Japan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelgium: 99.7% in 2022Japan: 98.7% in 2022
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017Japan: 3.34% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Japan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023Japan: 124 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023Japan: -0.48% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023Japan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025Japan: 92.3% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023Japan: 49 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023Japan: 29.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Japan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Japan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025Japan: $59.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025Japan: $504 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025Japan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020Japan: 261,000 people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022Japan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020Japan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025Japan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025Japan: 28 million TIV in 2025