East Asia & Pacific · OECD · G20
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
39.0%
+5.6 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
15.7%
+3.0 pts since 2005
Healthcare · 2024
7.59%
+1.6 pts since 2005
Defence · 2024
1.29%
+0.4 pts since 2005
Education · 2024
3.26%
-0.1 pts since 2005
Debt interest · 2024
1.54%
-0.7 pts since 2005
Gross debt · 2025
204.8%
of GDP · +124 pts since 1995
Population · 2025
123.4m
-1.7% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for Japan yet.
Welfare rose from 12.7% to 17.3% of GDP between 2005 and 2020, then fell to 15.7% by 2024.
Healthcare rose from 6.0% to 9.2% of GDP between 2005 and 2021, then fell to 7.6% by 2024.
Defence rose from 0.9% to 1.3% of GDP between 2005 and 2024.
Education rose from 3.4% to 3.7% of GDP between 2005 and 2009, then fell to 3.3% by 2024.
Debt interest fell from 2.2% to 1.5% of GDP between 2005 and 2024.
Total spending rose from 33.4% to 46.1% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 39.0% by 2024.
Gross debt rose from 80.7% to 228.8% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 204.8% by 2025.
Population fell from 125.5 million in 1995 to 123.4 million in 2025; the UN projects 105.1 million by 2050.