Military expenditure in Japan
Japan: Military expenditure was 8.37 trillion current LCU in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in Japan, 1960–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in current LCU.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Japan is 8.37 trillion current LCU, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 23.9% on the previous year and up 68.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Japan peaked at 8.37 trillion current LCU in 2024 and was at its lowest, 173.00 billion current LCU, in 1960.
That places Japan 11th out of 167 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 293.60 billion current LCU | 173.00 billion current LCU | 480.75 billion current LCU | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.24 trillion current LCU | 567.12 billion current LCU | 2.01 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.00 trillion current LCU | 2.20 trillion current LCU | 3.86 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.66 trillion current LCU | 4.17 trillion current LCU | 4.95 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.87 trillion current LCU | 4.77 trillion current LCU | 4.95 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.03 trillion current LCU | 4.78 trillion current LCU | 5.54 trillion current LCU | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.43 trillion current LCU | 5.49 trillion current LCU | 8.37 trillion current LCU | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More public sector data for Japan
- Arms imports 977.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure 1.4% (2024)
- Military expenditure 55.27 billion current USD (2024)
- Armed forces personnel, total 261,000 (2020)
- Armed forces personnel 0.4% (2020)
- Expense 117.32 trillion current LCU (2022)
- Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score 100 scale 0-100 (2024)
- Intentional homicides 0.2292 per 100,000 people (2023)
- Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score 84.76 scale 0-100 (2024)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 15.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Japan?
- Military expenditure in Japan was 8.37 trillion current LCU in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 8.37 trillion current LCU in 2024.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 173.00 billion current LCU in 1960.
- How does Japan rank for military expenditure?
- Japan ranks 11th out of 167 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 68.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)