Germany vs Japan: Government debt
Government debt: 62.7% of GDP in Germany in 2025 and 213.6% of GDP in Japan in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Japan, by 152.2 percentage points, or 3.48 times that in Germany.
GermanyJapan
Watch it change on the mapChange since 1991, percentage points · IMF
Latest figures
% of GDP · IMF
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 62.7 2025 | 71 | 51 of 149 | 75.6 2031 |
| Japan | 213.6 2024 | 203.6 | — | 188.9 2031 |
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1991.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Germany at 75.6% of GDP and Japan at 188.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Germany | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 62.7 | 204.8 |
| 2024 | 61.4 | 213.6 |
| 2023 | 61.8 | 220.1 |
| 2022 | 64.1 | 228 |
| 2021 | 67.4 | 222.6 |
| 2020 | 67.5 | 228.8 |
| 2019 | 58.4 | 206.3 |
| 2018 | 60.5 | 203.7 |
| 2017 | 63.7 | 203.1 |
| 2016 | 68.1 | 202.1 |
| 2015 | 71 | 200.1 |
| 2014 | 74.4 | 203.6 |
| 2013 | 77.4 | 201.2 |
| 2012 | 79.8 | 197.1 |
| 2011 | 78.5 | 190.6 |
| 2010 | 81 | 178.6 |
| 2009 | 72.4 | 172.9 |
| 2008 | 65.2 | 153.6 |
| 2007 | 63.7 | 150.4 |
| 2006 | 66.4 | 152.1 |
| 2005 | 67.1 | 153.4 |
| 2004 | 65 | 148.8 |
| 2003 | 63.3 | 140.2 |
| 2002 | 59.8 | 134.6 |
| 2001 | 58.1 | 126.8 |
| 2000 | 59.2 | 118.5 |
| 1999 | 60.4 | 113.5 |
| 1998 | 59.4 | 101.6 |
| 1997 | 58.8 | 91.3 |
| 1996 | 57.7 | 85.3 |
| 1995 | 54.9 | 80.7 |
| 1994 | 47.5 | 73.3 |
| 1993 | 45.1 | 63.2 |
| 1992 | 41.4 | 57.9 |
| 1991 | 39 | 54.1 |
| 1990 | – | 54.8 |
| 1989 | – | 56.9 |
| 1988 | – | 62.4 |
| 1987 | – | 65.8 |
| 1986 | – | 64.2 |
| 1985 | – | 59.2 |
| 1984 | – | 56.9 |
| 1983 | – | 55.1 |
| 1982 | – | 50.1 |
| 1981 | – | 45.8 |
| 1980 | – | 41.4 |
- 12.3Projected
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Germany | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64.6 | 199.4 |
| 2027 | 67 | 196.4 |
| 2028 | 69.3 | 193.8 |
| 2029 | 71.5 | 191.5 |
| 2030 | 73.6 | 190.1 |
| 2031 | 75.6 | 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