Iran vs Japan: Central government spending as share of GDP
Iran
19.6%
in 2009
Japan
20.1%
in 2022
Iran rank
110th
Japan rank
109th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- Iran
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 20.1% against 19.6% in Iran, a difference of 0.5%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1972 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 110th and Japan ranks 109th of 157 countries.
Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 27.4% | 12.8% | 14.5% | Iran |
| 1980s | 20.2% | 15.2% | 5.0% | Iran |
| 1990s | 15.9% | 15.5% | 0.4% | Iran |
| 2000s | 17.9% | 15.6% | 2.3% | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Iran or Japan?
- Japan, at 20.1% against 19.6% in Iran as of 2022.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Iran and Japan?
- 0.5%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Japan?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2009.
- How do Iran and Japan rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- Iran ranks 110th and Japan ranks 109th of 157 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.