Japan vs Malaysia
Japan vs Malaysia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $59.5B in Japan and $4.55B in Malaysia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Japan, by $54.9B, or 13 times that in Malaysia.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1957.
- In 2025, Japan ranked 10 and Malaysia ranked 50 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Japan | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59.5B | $4.55B |
| 2024 | $54.3B | $4.38B |
| 2023 | $45.9B | $3.98B |
| 2022 | $39.8B | $3.69B |
| 2021 | $42.3B | $3.59B |
| 2020 | $39.3B | $3.43B |
| 2019 | $39.7B | $3.23B |
| 2018 | $38.6B | $3.34B |
| 2017 | $36.7B | $3.66B |
| 2016 | $37B | $4.36B |
| 2015 | $37.2B | $4.55B |
| 2014 | $36.6B | $4.23B |
| 2013 | $36.2B | $4.2B |
| 2012 | $36.3B | $3.85B |
| 2011 | $36.8B | $4.04B |
| 2010 | $36.3B | $3.6B |
| 2009 | $36.1B | $4.12B |
| 2008 | $35.5B | $4.37B |
| 2007 | $35.8B | $4.27B |
| 2006 | $36.3B | $3.82B |
| 2005 | $36.8B | $3.91B |
| 2004 | $36.8B | $3.65B |
| 2003 | $37B | $3.78B |
| 2002 | $36.9B | $2.97B |
| 2001 | $36.7B | $2.61B |
| 2000 | $36.1B | $2.1B |
| 1999 | $35.9B | $2.31B |
| 1998 | $36.1B | $1.71B |
| 1997 | $36.1B | $2.33B |
| 1996 | $35.8B | $2.48B |
| 1995 | $35.1B | $2.57B |
| 1994 | $34.6B | $2.42B |
| 1993 | $34.6B | $2.23B |
| 1992 | $34.7B | $2.1B |
| 1991 | $34.2B | $2.12B |
| 1990 | $33.4B | $1.55B |
| 1989 | $31.8B | $1.45B |
| 1988 | $30.5B | $1.21B |
| 1987 | $29B | $1.86B |
| 1986 | $27.9B | $1.28B |
| 1985 | $26.7B | $1.49B |
| 1984 | $25.3B | $1.67B |
| 1983 | $24.2B | $1.81B |
| 1982 | $23.1B | $2.03B |
| 1981 | $22.3B | $2.13B |
| 1980 | $21.6B | $1.58B |
| 1979 | $21.2B | $1.27B |
| 1978 | $20B | $1.09B |
| 1977 | $18.9B | $1.28B |
| 1976 | $18.3B | $952M |
| 1975 | $18.2B | $922M |
| 1974 | $17.5B | $873M |
| 1973 | $17B | $777M |
| 1972 | $16.2B | $839M |
| 1971 | $14.5B | $851M |
| 1970 | $13.1B | $759M |
| 1969 | $12B | $557M |
| 1968 | $11B | $572M |
| 1967 | $10.3B | $552M |
| 1966 | $9.64B | $599M |
| 1965 | $8.92B | $482M |
| 1964 | $8.31B | $344M |
| 1963 | $7.57B | $246M |
| 1962 | $6.97B | $183M |
| 1961 | $6.81B | $177M |
| 1960 | $7B | $214M |
| 1959 | $6.99B | $232M |
| 1958 | $7B | $266M |
| 1957 | $6.85B | $253M |
| 1956 | $7.16B | – |
| 1955 | $7.66B | – |
| 1954 | $7.38B | – |
| 1953 | $6.55B | – |
| 1952 | $6.3B | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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 151 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
Japan vs Malaysia
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023Malaysia: 76.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024Malaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Malaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterJapan: 98.7% in 2022Malaysia: 93.9% in 2022
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017Malaysia: 3.52% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Malaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023Malaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023Malaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023Malaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025Malaysia: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023Malaysia: 30.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023Malaysia: 7.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Malaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025Malaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025Malaysia: $138 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Malaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020Malaysia: 136,000 people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022Malaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020Malaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025Malaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025Malaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024