Military spending in Japan

Military spending in Japan: 2.07% of GDP in 1952 and 1.41% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.

Latest, 2025: 1.41% of GDP
Since 1952: −0.66 percentage points
Rank, 2025: 88 of 151; counting from the highest

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Estimates, SIPRISIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

The highest was 2.19% of GDP in 1954, the lowest 0.77% of GDP in 1969.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Japan
2025	1.41
2024	1.3
2023	1.1
2022	0.97
2021	1.03
2020	0.99
2019	0.97
2018	0.94
2017	0.89
2016	0.91
2015	0.93
2014	0.94
2013	0.93
2012	0.95
2011	0.97
2010	0.94
2009	0.96
2008	0.9
2007	0.88
2006	0.89
2005	0.91
2004	0.92
2003	0.93
2002	0.93
2001	0.92
2000	0.9
1999	0.92
1998	0.91
1997	0.89
1996	0.88
1995	0.89
1994	0.89
1993	0.95
1992	0.95
1991	0.94
1990	0.94
1989	0.94
1988	0.95
1987	0.97
1986	0.96
1985	0.96
1984	0.96
1983	0.95
1982	0.93
1981	0.92
1980	0.91
1979	0.91
1978	0.89
1977	0.89
1976	0.89
1975	0.91
1974	0.86
1973	0.82
1972	0.84
1971	0.82
1970	0.77
1969	0.77
1968	0.79
1967	0.84
1966	0.88
1965	0.9
1964	0.88
1963	0.9
1962	0.88
1961	0.92
1960	1.08
1959	1.26
1958	1.43
1957	1.5
1956	1.75
1955	2.1
1954	2.19
1953	2.03
1952	2.07

Estimate

Good to know

What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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

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