Germany vs Japan: Government spending by function
Germany
40.6%
in 2023
Japan
39.9%
in 2023
Germany rank
7th
Japan rank
8th
Government spending by function over time
- Germany
- Japan
How they compare
Germany currently reports 40.6% against 39.9% in Japan, a difference of 0.7%.
Across all 17 years both countries report, Germany has been ahead every year.
Germany ranks 7th and Japan ranks 8th of 37 countries.
Germany has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 42.1% | 38.4% | 3.7% | Germany |
| 2010s | 41.7% | 40.9% | 0.8% | Germany |
| 2020s | 40.9% | 39.3% | 1.6% | Germany |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, Germany or Japan?
- Germany, at 40.6% against 39.9% in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between Germany and Japan?
- 0.7%, with Germany ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do Germany and Japan rank globally for government spending by function?
- Germany ranks 7th and Japan ranks 8th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function. 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 total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.