Military spending per armed forces personnel in Japan
Japan: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 150,681 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Japan, 1985–2020
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.
Analysis
In 2020, military spending per armed forces personnel in Japan stood at 150,681 constant 2024 US$.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and up 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Japan peaked at 151,984 constant 2024 US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 109,797 constant 2024 US$, in 1985.
That places Japan 26th out of 160 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 119,253 constant 2024 US$ | 109,797 constant 2024 US$ | 128,709 constant 2024 US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | 141,739 constant 2024 US$ | 133,391 constant 2024 US$ | 148,292 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 144,319 constant 2024 US$ | 135,129 constant 2024 US$ | 147,996 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 142,541 constant 2024 US$ | 139,179 constant 2024 US$ | 151,984 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 150,681 constant 2024 US$ | 150,681 constant 2024 US$ | 150,681 constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.7172 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.24 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1053 °C (2026)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Consumer price index 118.04 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.9 °C (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Japan?
- Military spending per armed forces personnel in Japan was 150,681 constant 2024 US$ in 2020, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 151,984 constant 2024 US$ in 2019.
- What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 109,797 constant 2024 US$ in 1985.
- How does Japan rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- Japan ranks 26th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by armed forces personnel. This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.