Public social spending as share of GDP in Japan
Japan: Public social spending as share of GDP was 24.7% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Public social spending as share of GDP in Japan, 1880–2022
Source: OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2022, public social spending as share of gdp in Japan stood at 24.7%.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and up 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public social spending as share of gdp in Japan peaked at 25.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1880.
That places Japan 10th out of 42 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Public social spending as share of GDP in Japan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 0.1% | — |
| 1890 | 0.1% | +120.0% |
| 1900 | 0.2% | +54.5% |
| 1910 | 0.2% | +5.9% |
| 1920 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.2% | +16.7% |
| 1960 | 3.3% | +1484.4% |
| 1961 | 3.8% | +13.1% |
| 1962 | 4.0% | +6.8% |
| 1963 | 4.2% | +4.3% |
| 1964 | 4.2% | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 4.5% | +6.8% |
| 1966 | 4.6% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 4.6% | +1.1% |
| 1968 | 4.6% | -1.3% |
| 1969 | 4.5% | -2.0% |
| 1970 | 4.7% | +5.1% |
| 1971 | 4.9% | +4.5% |
| 1972 | 5.3% | +8.1% |
| 1973 | 5.5% | +3.3% |
| 1974 | 6.6% | +21.1% |
| 1975 | 7.7% | +15.2% |
| 1976 | 8.3% | +7.7% |
| 1977 | 8.6% | +3.9% |
| 1978 | 9.2% | +7.6% |
| 1979 | 9.5% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 9.8% | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 10.2% | +4.4% |
| 1982 | 10.6% | +3.1% |
| 1983 | 10.8% | +2.1% |
| 1984 | 10.7% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 10.6% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 11.0% | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 11.0% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 10.7% | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 10.6% | -1.3% |
| 1990 | 10.4% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 10.6% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 11.2% | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 11.9% | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 12.4% | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 12.7% | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 12.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 13.1% | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 13.9% | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 14.9% | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 15.8% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 16.1% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 16.3% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 16.5% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 16.9% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 17.0% | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 17.4% | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 18.4% | +5.8% |
| 2009 | 20.6% | +11.9% |
| 2010 | 21.0% | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 21.8% | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 21.8% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 21.8% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 21.5% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 21.9% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 22.0% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 22.1% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 22.2% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 22.8% | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 24.8% | +8.8% |
| 2021 | 25.4% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 24.7% | -2.8% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 24.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 22.3%, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Public social spending as share of GDP in Japan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | +1484.4% | 0.2% | 3.3% |
| 1890 | +120.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 1900 | +54.5% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1920s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1960s | 4.2% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.0% | 4.7% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.6% | 9.8% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.4% | 10.4% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.0% | 14.9% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.9% | 21.0% | 22.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.0% | 24.7% | 25.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.981 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3629 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 4.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 5.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public social spending as share of gdp in Japan?
- Public social spending as share of gdp in Japan was 24.7% in 2022, according to OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 25.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1880.
- How does Japan rank for public social spending as share of gdp?
- Japan ranks 10th out of 42 countries with data for 2022.
- Is public social spending as share of gdp rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Public social spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Public social expenditure divided bt gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.