Japan vs United States
Japan vs United States: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $504 in Japan and $2,755 in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $2,251, or 5.47 times that in Japan.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, Japan ranked 44 and United States ranked 4 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Japan | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $504 | $2,755 |
| 2024 | $437 | $2,917 |
| 2023 | $386 | $2,675 |
| 2022 | $344 | $2,527 |
| 2021 | $425 | $2,373 |
| 2020 | $406 | $2,295 |
| 2019 | $400 | $2,183 |
| 2018 | $382 | $2,045 |
| 2017 | $354 | $1,956 |
| 2016 | $366 | $1,953 |
| 2015 | $331 | $1,952 |
| 2014 | $368 | $2,014 |
| 2013 | $384 | $2,132 |
| 2012 | $469 | $2,298 |
| 2011 | $474 | $2,407 |
| 2010 | $426 | $2,384 |
| 2009 | $402 | $2,303 |
| 2008 | $362 | $2,165 |
| 2007 | $317 | $1,964 |
| 2006 | $325 | $1,879 |
| 2005 | $346 | $1,812 |
| 2004 | $355 | $1,692 |
| 2003 | $333 | $1,527 |
| 2002 | $309 | $1,325 |
| 2001 | $321 | $1,173 |
| 2000 | $359 | $1,143 |
| 1999 | $340 | $1,074 |
| 1998 | $299 | $1,059 |
| 1997 | $322 | $1,077 |
| 1996 | $350 | $1,068 |
| 1995 | $398 | $1,109 |
| 1994 | $362 | $1,167 |
| 1993 | $332 | $1,213 |
| 1992 | $290 | $1,260 |
| 1991 | $265 | $1,174 |
| 1990 | $234 | $1,291 |
| 1989 | $228 | $1,290 |
| 1988 | $231 | $1,252 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- 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 in US dollarsJapan: $59.5B in 2025United States: $929B 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