The statistic shows Japan's national debt from 2019 to 2022 in relation to gross domestic product (GDP), with projections up until 2029. In 2022, the national debt of Japan amounted to about 256.3 percent of the gross domestic product. An eye on Japan’s national debt Japan’s national debt ranks first among countries with the highest debt levels in the world, far surpassing the debt levels of Greece - which ranks number two - whose financial crisis has been in the spotlight recently. Italy is third, followed by Jamaica, Lebanon and Enritrea. Currently, Japan’s national debt amounts more than a thousand trillion yen and the country’s debt is predicted to keep rising for the foreseeable future, albeit only slightly. Japan’s national debt is not without consequence for the global economy, because the country claims the fourth-largest share in global gross domestic product. Therefore, the effects on the global economy would and could have a much greater global impact than that of a country such as Greece - considering its share of the global economy adjusted for purchase power parity was less than 0.29 percent in 2011. The debt levels of China, the United States and India should also be watched closely as they together make up the largest share of global GDP. At the moment, Japan’s inflation rate is among the lowest in the world, but as Japan attempts to reduce its national debt, this could change.

Key information about Japan Government Debt: % of GDP

• Japan Government debt accounted for 216.2 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with the ratio of 217.2 % in the previous quarter.
• Japan government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1994 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 225.8 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 55.9 % in Dec 1994.

CEIC calculates quarterly Government Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Government Debt and rolling sum of quarterly Nominal GDP. The Bank of Japan provides Government Debt in local currency. The Economic and Social Research Institute provides Nominal GDP in local currency. Government Debt covers Central Government only.


Related information about Japan Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, Japan National Government Debt reached 9,396.6 USD bn in Apr 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 1,080.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.

The statistic shows the national debt of Japan from 2019 to 2021, with projections up until 2029. The amount of Japan's national debt in 2022 amounted to about 9.16 trillion U.S. dollar. In a ranking of debt to GDP per country, Japan is thus currently ranked first.

Japan's economic power

With one of the largest gross domestic products (GDP), Japan is among the largest economies in the world. However, ever since the global financial crisis, Japan's GDP - like many others - has been slightly unstable; Japan even reported a negative GDP growth in comparison to the previous year in 2011 and in 2014. Still, it is estimated that gross domestic product in Japan will continue to thrive over the next decade. One indicator is Japan's inflation rate: Despite the aforementioned economic slumps, Japan has managed to maintain one of the lowest inflation rates in the world, and it also reduced its unemployment rate. Between 2010 and 2013, the unemployment rate in Japan decreased by approximately one percent, and it is expected to drop even lower over the next years.

Recently, Japan has been reporting a trade deficit, meaning the value of its imports exceeds the value of its exports. Most of these imports have come from China and the United States. The trade deficit is one of the causes for in an increase of the national debt. It is estimated that the national debt in relation to the GDP will increase further until 2020.

Japan debt to gdp ratio for 2022 was 216.21%, a 0.12% decline from 2021.

• Japan debt to gdp ratio for 2021 was 216.33%, a 0.57% increase from 2020.
• Japan debt to gdp ratio for 2020 was 215.76%, a 17.75% increase from 2019.
• Japan debt to gdp ratio for 2019 was 198.01%, a 0.67% increase from 2018.

Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year.

In 2024, net government debt in Japan accounted for 155.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). The share reached a record high in 2020.

Graph and download economic data for General government gross debt for Japan (GGGDTAJPA188N) from 1980 to 2022 about Japan, gross, debt, and government.

Private Debt to GDP in Japan increased to 245.70 percent in 2022 from 242.40 percent in 2021. Japan Private Debt to GDP - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.

The statistic shows the national debt of the United States from 2019 to 2022 in relation to the gross domestic product (GDP), with projections up until 2029. In 2022, the national debt of the United States was at around 120.03 percent of the gross domestic product. See the US GDP for further information. US finances There has been a dramatic increase in the public debt of the United States since 1990, although the month-to-month change has been quite stable over the last few months. Public debt is defined as the amount of money borrowed by a country to cover budget deficits. A ranking of individual state debt in the United States shows that California is leading by a clear margin, with more than double the amount of runner-up New York. Vermont, North Dakota and South Dakota are the states with the lowest amount of debt. Even before the recession of 2008, the national debt of the United States had been increasing steadily and excessively, and it is predicted to rise even further. Budget cuts and fewer job opportunities as a result of the crisis are taking their toll on the American economy, which is still recovering. Trade figures as well as unemployment are still below average. Subsequently, the national debt and the national debt of the United States per capita have more or less quadrupled since the 1990s. Interestingly, the United States is not even among the top ten of countries with the highest public debt in relation to gross domestic product in international comparison. Japan, Greece and Italy – among others – report far higher figures than the United States.

The graph shows national debt in China related to gross domestic product until 2023, with forecasts to 2029. In 2023, gross national debt ranged at around 84 percent of the national gross domestic product.

The debt-to-GDP ratio

In economics, the ratio between a country's government debt and its gross domestic product (GDP) is generally defined as the debt-to-GDP ratio. It is a useful indicator for investors to measure a country's ability to fulfill future payments on its debts. A low debt-to-GDP ratio also suggests that an economy produces and sells a sufficient amount of goods and services to pay back those debts. Among the important industrial and emerging countries, Japan displayed one of the highest debt-to-GDP ratios. In 2023, the estimated national debt of Japan amounted to about 255 percent of its GDP, up from around 180 percent in 2004. One reason behind Japan's high debt load lies in its low annual GDP growth rate.

Development in China

China's national debt related to GDP grew slowly but steadily from around 23 percent in 2000 to 34 percent in 2012, only disrupted by the global financial crisis in 2008. In recent years, China increased credit financing to spur economic growth, resulting in higher levels of debt. China's real estate crisis and a difficult global economic environment require further stimulating measures by the government and will predictably lead to even higher debt growth in the years ahead.

Japan JP: Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: General Government: Short Term data was reported at 29.540 % in Sep 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 31.308 % for Jun 2024. Japan JP: Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: General Government: Short Term data is updated quarterly, averaging 26.082 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to Sep 2024, with 108 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 42.725 % in Dec 2020 and a record low of 0.000 % in Dec 2004. Japan JP: Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: General Government: Short Term data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.QPSD: Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: General Government.

Japan Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: Non Financial Public Corporations: Short Term: Loans data was reported at 0.000 % in Jun 2020. Japan Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: Non Financial Public Corporations: Short Term: Loans data is updated quarterly, averaging 0.000 % from Jun 2020 (Median) to Jun 2020, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.000 % in Jun 2020 and a record low of 0.000 % in Jun 2020. Japan Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: Non Financial Public Corporations: Short Term: Loans data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.World Bank.QPSD: Gross Public Debt: % of GDP: Non Financial Public Corporations.

Outstanding international public debt securities to GDP (%) in Japan was reported at 0.14367 % in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Japan - Outstanding international public debt securities to GDP - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

From 2001 to 2024, Japan’s debt-to-GDP ratio has remained the highest among major economies, being consistently above 200 percent since around 2010. Italy, the United States, and Canada also exhibit high ratios, with Italy nearing 150 percent by 2024. In contrast, Germany, Australia, and China maintain lower ratios, generally below 100 percent, indicating comparatively lower debt levels relative to economic output. A sharp increase in debt levels was visible around 2020 across most countries, reflecting economic challenges during that period.

Of the G7 countries, Japan had the highest net debt in terms of share of gross domestic product (GDP) between 2010 and 2024. That year, Japan's government's net debt reached an estimated 156 percent of its total GDP. Italy had the second highest debt rate at 127 percent of its GDP, whereas Canada had the lowest at only 14 percent.

Japan recorded a Government Budget deficit equal to 6.40 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2022. This dataset provides - Japan Government Budget - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, the net government debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio of Japan was estimated at about 156 percent. The government debt ratio of the United States was over 96 percent. Saudi Arabia, who had the lowest net debt, had a debt ratio of only 14.1 percent.

External Debt in Japan increased to 678638 JPY Billion in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 663482 JPY Billion in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Japan External Debt - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In the first quarter of 2024, household debt in the United States amounted to over 71 percent of its GDP. It can be generally observed that U.S. households are more indebted by the end of the year than in any other quarter. The debt of households peaked in the last quarter of 2020, reaching the highest value since 2013. Debt to GDP ratio As it can be observed here, the household debt to GDP ratio decreased overall in the recent years. The steady growth of the gross domestic product in the United States could be a factor explaining this tendency. If the volume of debt grows at a slower pace than the GDP, the debt to GDP ratio would decrease. In addition to that, the overall value of mortgage debt in the U.S., which is the most significant component of the household debt, decreased from 2012 to the third quarter of 2014, but it has rebounded since then. Public debt in the U.S. Public debt in the United States, which is the amount of money borrowed by the government to finance budget deficits, has been increasing almost every single year. Not only that, but according to that forecast it is also expected to keep increasing during the coming years. The major holders of American government debt, as of December 2022, were Federal Reserve and government accounts and foreign and international holders. The ratio of national debt to GDP of the United States was higher than that of other major economies, but lower than that of Japan. Some of the lowest debt to GDP ratios were observed in Hong Kong SAR, Kuwait, and Turkmenistan.

Key information about Japan External Debt

• Japan External Debt reached 4,312.4 USD bn in Dec 2024, compared with 4,631.6 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• Japan External Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2003 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 4,844.1 USD bn in Dec 2020 and a record low of 1,223.9 USD bn in Mar 2003.

CEIC converts quarterly External Debt into USD. The Bank of Japan provides External Debt in local currency based on BPM6. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. External Debt prior to Q1 2014 is based on BPM5.


Related information about Japan External Debt

• In the latest reports of Japan, Current Account recorded a surplus of 14.2 USD bn in Apr 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 167.1 USD mn in Jan 2025.
• Japan Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 8.3 USD bn in Jan 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 4.8 USD bn in Dec 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 1,080.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about Japan External Debt: Short Term

• Japan External Debt: Short Term value stood at 3,143.9 USD bn in Dec 2024, compared with 3,340.0 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• Japan External Debt: Short Term data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2003 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 3,495.4 USD bn in Mar 2020 and a record low of 825.5 USD bn in Mar 2003.

CEIC calculates Short Term External Debt as the sum of Short Term External Debt breakdowns for General Government, Central Bank, Deposit Taking Corporations excl Central Bank and Other Sectors and converts it into USD. The Bank of Japan provides Short Term External Debt in local currency based on BPM6. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Short Term External Debt prior to Q1 2014 is based on BPM5.


Related information about Japan External Debt: Short Term

• In the latest reports of Japan, Current Account recorded a surplus of 14.2 USD bn in Apr 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 167.1 USD mn in Jan 2025.
• Japan Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 8.3 USD bn in Jan 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 4.8 USD bn in Dec 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 1,080.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.