Japan vs United States
Japan vs United States: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $59.5B in Japan and $929B in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $870B, or 16 times that in Japan.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1952.
- In 2025, Japan ranked 10 and United States ranked 1 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Japan | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59.5B | $929B |
| 2024 | $54.3B | $1.01T |
| 2023 | $45.9B | $943B |
| 2022 | $39.8B | $923B |
| 2021 | $42.3B | $933B |
| 2020 | $39.3B | $943B |
| 2019 | $39.7B | $901B |
| 2018 | $38.6B | $853B |
| 2017 | $36.7B | $828B |
| 2016 | $37B | $836B |
| 2015 | $37.2B | $839B |
| 2014 | $36.6B | $858B |
| 2013 | $36.2B | $915B |
| 2012 | $36.3B | $991B |
| 2011 | $36.8B | $1.05T |
| 2010 | $36.3B | $1.06T |
| 2009 | $36.1B | $1.03T |
| 2008 | $35.5B | $957B |
| 2007 | $35.8B | $892B |
| 2006 | $36.3B | $869B |
| 2005 | $36.8B | $857B |
| 2004 | $36.8B | $819B |
| 2003 | $37B | $751B |
| 2002 | $36.9B | $660B |
| 2001 | $36.7B | $588B |
| 2000 | $36.1B | $583B |
| 1999 | $35.9B | $561B |
| 1998 | $36.1B | $560B |
| 1997 | $36.1B | $573B |
| 1996 | $35.8B | $576B |
| 1995 | $35.1B | $609B |
| 1994 | $34.6B | $652B |
| 1993 | $34.6B | $688B |
| 1992 | $34.7B | $727B |
| 1991 | $34.2B | $690B |
| 1990 | $33.4B | $781B |
| 1989 | $31.8B | $815B |
| 1988 | $30.5B | $821B |
| 1987 | $29B | $839B |
| 1986 | $27.9B | $846B |
| 1985 | $26.7B | $793B |
| 1984 | $25.3B | $740B |
| 1983 | $24.2B | $704B |
| 1982 | $23.1B | $721B |
| 1981 | $22.3B | $609B |
| 1980 | $21.6B | $547B |
| 1979 | $21.2B | $548B |
| 1978 | $20B | $545B |
| 1977 | $18.9B | $542B |
| 1976 | $18.3B | $522B |
| 1975 | $18.2B | $537B |
| 1974 | $17.5B | $568B |
| 1973 | $17B | $575B |
| 1972 | $16.2B | $605B |
| 1971 | $14.5B | $606B |
| 1970 | $13.1B | $674B |
| 1969 | $12B | $727B |
| 1968 | $11B | $761B |
| 1967 | $10.3B | $737B |
| 1966 | $9.64B | $642B |
| 1965 | $8.92B | $543B |
| 1964 | $8.31B | $540B |
| 1963 | $7.57B | $559B |
| 1962 | $6.97B | $567B |
| 1961 | $6.81B | $523B |
| 1960 | $7B | $502B |
| 1959 | $6.99B | $515B |
| 1958 | $7B | $511B |
| 1957 | $6.85B | $514B |
| 1956 | $7.16B | $500B |
| 1955 | $7.66B | $493B |
| 1954 | $7.38B | $521B |
| 1953 | $6.55B | $604B |
| 1952 | $6.3B | $587B |
| 1951 | – | $416B |
| 1950 | – | $195B |
| 1949 | – | $181B |
- 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 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 per personJapan: $504 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending 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