Government health spending as a share of GDP in Japan
Japan: Government health spending as a share of GDP was 8.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
8.7%
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
7th
of 59 countries
All-time high
10.1%
in 2021
All-time low
0.0%
in 1880
Years of data
72
1880–2025
Government health spending as a share of GDP in Japan, 1880–2025
Source: OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Japan recorded 8.7% for government health spending as a share of gdp in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.1% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government health spending as a share of gdp in Japan peaked at 10.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1880.
That places Japan 7th out of 59 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government health spending as a share of GDP in Japan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 0.0% | — |
| 1890 | 0.1% | +133.3% |
| 1900 | 0.1% | +42.9% |
| 1910 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 0.1% | +20.0% |
| 1960 | 1.7% | +1286.3% |
| 1961 | 1.9% | +14.2% |
| 1962 | 2.0% | +5.7% |
| 1963 | 2.2% | +7.4% |
| 1964 | 2.3% | +5.2% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | +10.8% |
| 1966 | 2.5% | -0.0% |
| 1967 | 2.6% | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 2.6% | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 2.5% | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | +14.7% |
| 1971 | 2.8% | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 3.0% | +5.4% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 3.5% | +18.2% |
| 1975 | 3.7% | +7.5% |
| 1976 | 3.9% | +4.3% |
| 1977 | 3.9% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 4.2% | +8.0% |
| 1979 | 4.2% | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 4.3% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 4.3% | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 4.4% | +2.3% |
| 1983 | 4.6% | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 4.5% | -2.5% |
| 1985 | 4.4% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 4.5% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 4.5% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 4.4% | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 4.3% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 4.3% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 4.4% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 4.5% | +4.0% |
| 1993 | 4.8% | +6.5% |
| 1994 | 5.0% | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 5.0% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 4.8% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 5.0% | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 5.1% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 5.4% | +5.5% |
| 2000 | 5.6% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 5.8% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 5.8% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 5.9% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 6.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 6.2% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 6.1% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 6.5% | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 7.2% | +11.1% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 8.7% | +18.5% |
| 2012 | 8.9% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 8.9% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 8.9% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 8.8% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 8.8% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 8.8% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 9.0% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 9.5% | +6.0% |
| 2021 | 10.1% | +6.2% |
| 2022 | 10.1% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 9.2% | -9.0% |
| 2024 | 8.8% | -3.5% |
| 2025 | 8.7% | -2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1920s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1960s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.5% | 2.8% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.1% | 5.6% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 7.4% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 8.7% | 10.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More health data for Japan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.73 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2774 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,294 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 178 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -2.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.0547 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0576 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government health spending as a share of gdp in Japan?
- Government health spending as a share of gdp in Japan was 8.7% in 2025, according to OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government health spending as a share of gdp recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 10.1% in 2021.
- What is the lowest government health spending as a share of gdp recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1880.
- How does Japan rank for government health spending as a share of gdp?
- Japan ranks 7th out of 59 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government health spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government health spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Public health expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.