Japan vs South Korea
Japan vs South Korea: Government debt
Government debt in 2024: 213.6% of GDP in Japan and 49.6% of GDP in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Japan, by 164 percentage points, or 4.31 times that in South Korea.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2012.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Japan at 188.9% of GDP and South Korea at 49.7% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 213.6 | 49.6 |
| 2023 | 220.1 | 50.6 |
| 2022 | 228 | 49.7 |
| 2021 | 222.6 | 48 |
| 2020 | 228.8 | 45.9 |
| 2019 | 206.3 | 39.7 |
| 2018 | 203.7 | 37.9 |
| 2017 | 203.1 | 38 |
| 2016 | 202.1 | 39.1 |
| 2015 | 200.1 | 38.8 |
| 2014 | 203.6 | 37.9 |
| 2013 | 201.2 | 36 |
| 2012 | 197.1 | 33.5 |
| 2011 | 190.6 | – |
| 2010 | 178.6 | – |
| 2009 | 172.9 | – |
| 2008 | 153.6 | – |
| 2007 | 150.4 | – |
| 2006 | 152.1 | – |
| 2005 | 153.4 | – |
| 2004 | 148.8 | – |
| 2003 | 140.2 | – |
| 2002 | 134.6 | – |
| 2001 | 126.8 | – |
| 2000 | 118.5 | – |
| 1999 | 113.5 | – |
| 1998 | 101.6 | – |
| 1997 | 91.3 | – |
| 1996 | 85.3 | – |
| 1995 | 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 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2025–2031
| Year | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 204.8 | 52.4 |
| 2026 | 199.4 | 47.3 |
| 2027 | 196.4 | 46.2 |
| 2028 | 193.8 | 47 |
| 2029 | 191.5 | 48.2 |
| 2030 | 190.1 | 49.2 |
| 2031 | 188.9 | 49.7 |
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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Japan vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterJapan: 98.7% in 2022South Korea: 99.3% in 2022
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025