East Asia & Pacific · High income
Japan: the economy in numbers
Per person: $35,951, or $55,422 at purchasing power parity. Population: 123 million (2025).
$4.44T+1.2%real GDP growth, 2025
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #4 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: +0.7%.
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025 · #46 of 204
GDP per capita, PPP
$55,422
2025 · #45 of 197
Inflation
3.2%
2025 · IMF forecast 2026: 2.0%
Government debt
213.6%
2024 · % of GDP, general government
Population
123M
2025 · #12 of 217
Unemployment
2.5%
2025 · ILO estimate
Stock market capitalization
171.6%
2025 · % of GDP · $7.61T
Life expectancy
84.0 years
2024
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $528 billion in 1960, $4.44 trillion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $5,659 per person in 1960, $35,951 in 2025.
GDP per capitaGDP per capita, PPP (international $)
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 0.5% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1961: 10 of 65.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose by 15.0% from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 23.2% in 1974.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 1980: 228.8% of GDP in 2020. IMF forecast for 2031: 188.9%.
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2025 listed domestic companies were worth $7.61 trillion, or 171.6% of GDP.
Population
1960: 93.2 million · 2025: 123 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 2.1% · 2025: 2.5%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 67.7 years · 2024: 84.0 years.
Exports of goods and services
1970: 9.9% · 2024: 22.0%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 0.6%f | 2.0%f | 188.9%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 0.6%f | 2.0%f | 190.1%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 0.6%f | 2.0%f | 191.5%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 0.6%f | 2.0%f | 193.8%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 0.7%f | 2.6%f | 196.4%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | 0.7%f | 2.0%f | 199.4%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $4.44T | $35,951 | $55,422 | 1.2% | 3.2% | 204.8%e | 123M | 2.5% | 171.6% | ||
| 2024 | $4.19T | $33,797 | $54,156 | −0.2% | 2.7% | 213.6% | 124M | 2.5% | 150.6% | 84.0 | 22.0% |
| 2023 | $4.38T | $35,215 | $52,726 | 0.7% | 3.3% | 220.1% | 125M | 2.6% | 140.2% | 84.0 | 21.1% |
| 2022 | $4.45T | $35,548 | $49,246 | 1.3% | 2.5% | 228.0% | 125M | 2.6% | 121.0% | 84.0 | 20.6% |
| 2021 | $5.23T | $41,581 | $45,999 | 3.6% | −0.2% | 222.6% | 126M | 2.8% | 125.2% | 84.4 | 17.5% |
| 2020 | $5.19T | $41,099 | $43,560 | −4.3% | −0.0% | 228.8% | 126M | 2.8% | 129.5% | 84.6 | 15.1% |
| 2019 | $5.25T | $41,425 | $43,744 | −0.3% | 0.5% | 206.3% | 127M | 2.4% | 118.0% | 84.4 | 17.0% |
| 2018 | $5.15T | $40,645 | $43,090 | 0.8% | 1.0% | 203.7% | 127M | 2.5% | 102.8% | 84.2 | 17.9% |
| 2017 | $5.04T | $39,680 | $42,347 | 1.6% | 0.5% | 203.1% | 127M | 2.8% | 123.5% | 84.1 | 17.2% |
| 2016 | $5.11T | $40,215 | $41,463 | 0.7% | −0.1% | 202.1% | 127M | 3.1% | 97.0% | 84.0 | 15.7% |
| 2015 | $4.53T | $35,665 | $41,722 | 1.8% | 0.8% | 200.1% | 127M | 3.4% | 107.9% | 83.8 | 17.1% |
| 2014 | $4.99T | $39,173 | $40,272 | 0.9% | 2.8% | 203.6% | 127M | 3.6% | 87.8% | 83.6 | 17.1% |
| 2013 | $5.27T | $41,369 | $39,855 | 2.0% | 0.3% | 201.2% | 127M | 4.0% | 86.2% | 83.3 | 15.6% |
| 2012 | $6.33T | $49,627 | $37,974 | 1.6% | −0.0% | 197.1% | 128M | 4.4% | 54.9% | 83.1 | 14.3% |
| 2011 | $6.28T | $49,122 | $36,483 | −0.2% | −0.3% | 190.6% | 128M | 4.5% | 53.0% | 82.6 | 14.7% |
| 2010 | $5.81T | $45,378 | $35,658 | 4.1% | −0.7% | 178.6% | 128M | 5.1% | 65.9% | 82.8 | 14.8% |
| 2009 | $5.34T | $41,678 | $33,843 | −5.9% | −1.4% | 172.9% | 128M | 5.1% | 61.9% | 82.9 | 12.3% |
| 2008 | $5.16T | $40,294 | $35,643 | −1.2% | 1.4% | 153.6% | 128M | 4.0% | 60.4% | 82.6 | 17.1% |
| 2007 | $4.62T | $36,130 | $35,359 | 1.7% | 0.1% | 150.4% | 128M | 3.9% | 93.6% | 82.5 | 17.1% |
| 2006 | $4.65T | $36,354 | $33,971 | 1.5% | 0.2% | 152.1% | 128M | 4.2% | 99.3% | 82.3 | 15.5% |
| 2005 | $4.88T | $38,159 | $32,464 | 1.8% | −0.3% | 153.4% | 128M | 4.4% | 93.8% | 82.0 | 13.7% |
| 2004 | $4.94T | $38,678 | $31,136 | 2.1% | −0.0% | 148.8% | 128M | 4.7% | 72.0% | 82.0 | 12.7% |
| 2003 | $4.57T | $35,809 | $29,742 | 1.4% | −0.3% | 140.2% | 128M | 5.3% | 64.6% | 81.8 | 11.3% |
| 2002 | $4.25T | $33,316 | $29,055 | 0.1% | −0.9% | 134.6% | 127M | 5.4% | 48.7% | 81.7 | 10.7% |
| 2001 | $4.44T | $34,910 | $28,352 | 0.3% | −0.7% | 126.8% | 127M | 5.0% | 51.0% | 81.4 | 9.9% |
| 2000 | $5.04T | $39,753 | $27,695 | 3.0% | −0.7% | 118.5% | 127M | 4.7% | 62.6% | 81.1 | 10.3% |
| 1999 | $4.69T | $37,029 | $26,030 | −0.3% | −0.3% | 113.5% | 127M | 4.7% | 95.0% | 80.5 | 9.7% |
| 1998 | $4.15T | $32,835 | $25,832 | −1.8% | 0.7% | 101.6% | 126M | 4.1% | 58.8% | 80.5 | 10.2% |
| 1997 | $4.58T | $36,331 | $26,117 | 1.4% | 1.7% | 91.3% | 126M | 3.4% | 45.5% | 80.4 | 10.2% |
| 1996 | $5.02T | $39,930 | $25,497 | 3.1% | 0.1% | 85.3% | 126M | 3.4% | 60.1% | 80.2 | 9.1% |
| 1995 | $5.64T | $44,947 | $24,263 | 2.3% | −0.1% | 80.7% | 125M | 3.1% | 62.9% | 79.5 | 8.7% |
| 1994 | $5.1T | $40,774 | $23,303 | 1.0% | 0.7% | 73.3% | 125M | 2.9% | 70.4% | 79.7 | 8.7% |
| 1993 | $4.63T | $37,111 | $22,635 | −0.5% | 1.2% | 63.2% | 125M | 2.5% | 62.7% | 79.3 | 8.7% |
| 1992 | $4.06T | $32,667 | $22,285 | 0.8% | 1.8% | 57.9% | 124M | 2.2% | 55.5% | 79.1 | 9.3% |
| 1991 | $3.72T | $30,048 | $21,674 | 3.4% | 3.3% | 54.1% | 124M | 2.1% | 80.7% | 79.0 | 9.4% |
| 1990 | $3.25T | $26,345 | $20,331 | 4.9% | 3.1% | 54.8% | 123M | 90.0% | 78.8 | 9.8% | |
| 1989 | $3.17T | $25,798 | 4.9% | 2.3% | 56.9% | 123M | 134.2% | 78.8 | 9.7% | ||
| 1988 | $3.19T | $26,037 | 6.8% | 0.7% | 62.4% | 123M | 118.7% | 78.3 | 9.2% | ||
| 1987 | $2.64T | $21,587 | 4.7% | 0.1% | 65.7% | 122M | 103.5% | 78.4 | 9.6% | ||
| 1986 | $2.16T | $17,819 | 3.3% | 0.6% | 64.2% | 121M | 82.4% | 78.0 | 10.5% | ||
| 1985 | $1.46T | $12,058 | 5.2% | 2.0% | 59.2% | 121M | 65.1% | 77.6 | 13.3% | ||
| 1984 | $1.37T | $11,443 | 4.5% | 2.3% | 56.9% | 120M | 46.9% | 77.3 | 13.8% | ||
| 1983 | $1.3T | $10,876 | 3.5% | 1.9% | 55.1% | 119M | 42.1% | 76.9 | 12.7% | ||
| 1982 | $1.18T | $9,986 | 3.3% | 2.7% | 50.1% | 118M | 35.3% | 76.9 | 13.3% | ||
| 1981 | $1.27T | $10,806 | 4.2% | 4.9% | 45.8% | 118M | 32.9% | 76.4 | 13.5% | ||
| 1980 | $1.15T | $9,872 | 2.8% | 7.8% | 41.4% | 117M | 32.9% | 76.0 | 12.6% | ||
| 1979 | $1.1T | $9,497 | 5.5% | 3.7% | 116M | 26.3% | 76.1 | 10.6% | |||
| 1978 | $1.06T | $9,202 | 5.3% | 4.2% | 115M | 3.2% | 75.6 | 10.2% | |||
| 1977 | $753B | $6,609 | 4.4% | 8.2% | 114M | 2.9% | 75.3 | 12.0% | |||
| 1976 | $611B | $5,422 | 4.0% | 9.4% | 113M | 29.6% | 74.7 | 12.5% | |||
| 1975 | $544B | $4,876 | 3.1% | 11.7% | 112M | 26.1% | 74.2 | 11.8% | |||
| 1974 | $500B | $4,542 | −1.2% | 23.2% | 110M | 73.7 | 12.5% | ||||
| 1973 | $451B | $4,147 | 8.0% | 11.6% | 109M | 73.3 | 9.2% | ||||
| 1972 | $332B | $3,095 | 8.4% | 4.8% | 107M | 73.2 | 9.7% | ||||
| 1971 | $251B | $2,370 | 4.7% | 6.4% | 106M | 72.8 | 10.8% | ||||
| 1970 | $222B | $2,145 | 0.4% | 6.9% | 103M | 71.9 | 9.9% | ||||
| 1969 | $188B | $1,841 | 12.5% | 5.2% | 102M | 71.9 | |||||
| 1968 | $160B | $1,586 | 12.9% | 5.3% | 101M | 71.6 | |||||
| 1967 | $135B | $1,354 | 11.1% | 4.0% | 99.9M | 71.5 | |||||
| 1966 | $115B | $1,168 | 10.6% | 5.0% | 98.9M | 70.9 | |||||
| 1965 | $99.4B | $1,015 | 5.8% | 6.7% | 98M | 70.3 | |||||
| 1964 | $89.3B | $922 | 11.7% | 3.8% | 96.9M | 70.2 | |||||
| 1963 | $75.9B | $792 | 8.5% | 6.7% | 95.9M | 69.7 | |||||
| 1962 | $66.4B | $699 | 8.9% | 6.8% | 94.9M | 68.6 | |||||
| 1961 | $58.5B | $622 | 12.0% | 5.4% | 94.1M | 68.4 | |||||
| 1960 | $48.4B | $519 | 3.6% | 93.2M | 67.7 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast.
Nearby economies in East Asia & Pacific
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
American Samoa · Australia · Brunei · Cambodia · China · Fiji · French Polynesia · Guam · Hong Kong · Indonesia · Japan · Kiribati · Laos · Macao · Malaysia · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nauru · New Caledonia · New Zealand · North Korea · Northern Mariana Islands · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Philippines · Samoa · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Korea · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Vietnam
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)