Japan vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government spending by function as a share of GDP
Government spending by function as a share of GDP over time
- Japan
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
Japan currently reports 16.1% against 15.2% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 0.9%.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
Japan ranks 18th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 19th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.2% | 15.1% | 0.9% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 16.1% | 15.8% | 0.3% | Japan |
| 2020s | 17.2% | 15.7% | 1.5% | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function as a share of gdp, Japan or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Japan, at 16.1% against 15.2% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function as a share of gdp between Japan and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.9%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Japan and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for government spending by function as a share of gdp?
- Japan ranks 18th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 19th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.