Ireland vs Japan
Ireland vs Japan: Government debt
Government debt: 34.8% of GDP in Ireland in 2025 and 213.6% of GDP in Japan in 2024, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Japan, by 175.2 percentage points, or 5.57 times that in Ireland.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ireland at 24.1% of GDP and Japan at 188.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ireland | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34.8 | 204.8 |
| 2024 | 38.4 | 213.6 |
| 2023 | 42.1 | 220.1 |
| 2022 | 42.8 | 228 |
| 2021 | 52.4 | 222.6 |
| 2020 | 57.1 | 228.8 |
| 2019 | 55.8 | 206.3 |
| 2018 | 61.4 | 203.7 |
| 2017 | 65.3 | 203.1 |
| 2016 | 72.7 | 202.1 |
| 2015 | 74.1 | 200.1 |
| 2014 | 101.5 | 203.6 |
| 2013 | 117.8 | 201.2 |
| 2012 | 119 | 197.1 |
| 2011 | 109.7 | 190.6 |
| 2010 | 86.3 | 178.6 |
| 2009 | 61.8 | 172.9 |
| 2008 | 42.5 | 153.6 |
| 2007 | 24 | 150.4 |
| 2006 | 23.7 | 152.1 |
| 2005 | 26.1 | 153.4 |
| 2004 | 28 | 148.8 |
| 2003 | 29.8 | 140.2 |
| 2002 | 30.9 | 134.6 |
| 2001 | 33.6 | 126.8 |
| 2000 | 36.4 | 118.5 |
| 1999 | 46.6 | 113.5 |
| 1998 | 51.4 | 101.6 |
| 1997 | 61.6 | 91.3 |
| 1996 | 69.8 | 85.3 |
| 1995 | 78.5 | 80.7 |
| 1994 | – | 73.3 |
| 1993 | – | 63.2 |
| 1992 | – | 57.9 |
| 1991 | – | 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 | Ireland | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 33.5 | 199.4 |
| 2027 | 30.8 | 196.4 |
| 2028 | 28.7 | 193.8 |
| 2029 | 26.9 | 191.5 |
| 2030 | 25.3 | 190.1 |
| 2031 | 24.1 | 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
Ireland vs Japan
Health
- Life expectancyIreland: 82.4 years in 2023Japan: 84.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIreland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Japan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIreland: 2.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Japan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIreland: 96% in 2022Japan: 98.7% in 2022
- DepressionIreland: 4.25% in 2017Japan: 3.34% in 2017
- Suicide rateIreland: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Japan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIreland: 5.2 million people in 2023Japan: 124 million people in 2023
- Population growthIreland: 1.19% a year in 2023Japan: -0.48% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIreland: 1.6 births per woman in 2023Japan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIreland: 64.6% in 2025Japan: 92.3% in 2025
- Median ageIreland: 38.4 years in 2023Japan: 49 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIreland: 15.5% in 2023Japan: 29.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateIreland: 8.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Japan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIreland: 0.22% of GDP in 2025Japan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIreland: $1.46B in 2025Japan: $59.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personIreland: $272 in 2025Japan: $504 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIreland: 0.9% of government spending in 2025Japan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIreland: 9,000 people in 2020Japan: 261,000 people in 2020
- National powerIreland: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Japan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIreland: 0.37% of the labour force in 2020Japan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIreland: 14 million TIV in 2025Japan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIreland: 24 million TIV in 2025Japan: 28 million TIV in 2025