Japan vs United States
Japan vs United States: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 3.8% of government spending in Japan and 8.3% of government spending in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 4.4 percentage points, or 2.17 times that in Japan.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, Japan ranked 109 and United States ranked 34 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Japan | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.8 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 3.5 | 9 |
| 2023 | 2.9 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | 2.4 | 9 |
| 2021 | 2.5 | 7.9 |
| 2020 | 2.3 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | 2.7 | 9.5 |
| 2018 | 2.6 | 9.3 |
| 2017 | 2.5 | 9.4 |
| 2016 | 2.5 | 9.6 |
| 2015 | 2.5 | 9.9 |
| 2014 | 2.5 | 10.4 |
| 2013 | 2.4 | 11.2 |
| 2012 | 2.5 | 12 |
| 2011 | 2.5 | 12.4 |
| 2010 | 2.5 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | 2.5 | 11.8 |
| 2008 | 2.7 | 12 |
| 2007 | 2.7 | 11.8 |
| 2006 | 2.7 | 12 |
| 2005 | 2.7 | 12.1 |
| 2004 | 2.8 | 12 |
| 2003 | 2.7 | 11.3 |
| 2002 | 2.7 | 10.3 |
| 2001 | 2.6 | 9.6 |
| 2000 | 2.5 | – |
| 1999 | 2.6 | – |
| 1998 | 2.4 | – |
| 1997 | 2.7 | – |
| 1996 | 2.6 | – |
| 1995 | 2.7 | – |
| 1994 | 2.8 | – |
| 1993 | 2.8 | – |
| 1992 | 3 | – |
| 1991 | 3.1 | – |
| 1990 | 3.1 | – |
| 1989 | 3.1 | – |
| 1988 | 3 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 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 United States
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterJapan: 98.7% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025