Germany vs Japan: Government expenditure vs gdp

Germany
833.98 billion
in 2025
Japan
999.41 billion
in 2024
Germany rank
3rd
Japan rank
2nd

Government expenditure vs gdp over time

  • Germany
  • Japan
200.0B400.0B600.0B800.0B1.0T197019972025

How they compare

Japan currently reports 999.41 billion against 833.98 billion in Germany, a difference of 165.43 billion.

That makes Japan's figure about 1.2 times Germany's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Germany ahead.

Germany ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 2nd of 166 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 1 and Japan in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany Japan Difference Ahead
1970s 307.91 billion 286.80 billion 21.11 billion Germany
1980s 394.40 billion 434.38 billion 39.98 billion Japan
1990s 471.11 billion 596.16 billion 125.06 billion Japan
2000s 560.27 billion 746.41 billion 186.14 billion Japan
2010s 670.72 billion 860.27 billion 189.55 billion Japan
2020s 800.84 billion 975.11 billion 174.27 billion Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher government expenditure vs gdp, Germany or Japan?
Japan, at 999.41 billion against 833.98 billion in Germany as of 2024.
What is the difference in government expenditure vs gdp between Germany and Japan?
165.43 billion, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
How do Germany and Japan rank globally for government expenditure vs gdp?
Germany ranks 3rd and Japan ranks 2nd of 166 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Government expenditure vs gdp. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs Japan: Government expenditure vs gdp. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/government-expenditure-vs-gdp/germany/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure vs gdp
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
166 places, 7,062 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed