Germany vs Japan: Cumulative number of objects launched into space
Germany
158 objects
in 2025
Japan
384 objects
in 2025
Germany rank
8th
Japan rank
5th
Cumulative number of objects launched into space over time
- Germany
- Japan
How they compare
Japan currently reports 384 objects against 158 objects in Germany, a difference of 226 objects.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.4 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 42 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Germany ahead.
Germany ranks 8th and Japan ranks 5th of 50 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 | 6.2 objects | 5 objects | 1.2 objects | Germany |
| 1980s | 13.2 objects | 36.4 objects | 23.2 objects | Japan |
| 1990s | 25 objects | 66.1 objects | 41.1 objects | Japan |
| 2000s | 46.62 objects | 114.5 objects | 67.88 objects | Japan |
| 2010s | 74.88 objects | 206.5 objects | 131.62 objects | Japan |
| 2020s | 126.83 objects | 325.67 objects | 198.83 objects | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher cumulative number of objects launched into space, Germany or Japan?
- Japan, at 384 objects against 158 objects in Germany as of 2025.
- What is the difference in cumulative number of objects launched into space between Germany and Japan?
- 226 objects, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
- 42 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Germany and Japan rank globally for cumulative number of objects launched into space?
- Germany ranks 8th and Japan ranks 5th of 50 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Cumulative number of objects launched into space. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Cumulative number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements, launched into Earth orbit or beyond.