Australia vs Japan: Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP

Australia
37.53
in 2031
Japan
39.44
in 2031
Australia rank
10th
Japan rank
7th

Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP over time

  • Australia
  • Japan
010203040198020052031

How they compare

Japan currently reports 39.44 against 37.53 in Australia, a difference of 1.91.

That makes Japan's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.

The two have swapped places 11 times across 44 shared years of data; in 1988 it was Australia ahead.

Australia ranks 10th and Japan ranks 7th of 26 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 4 and Japan in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Australia Japan Difference Ahead
1980s 30.1 28.88 1.22 Australia
1990s 33.59 32.23 1.35 Australia
2000s 35.1 34.38 0.7242 Australia
2010s 36.86 37.18 0.3169 Japan
2020s 39.2 38.97 0.2316 Australia
2030s 37.55 39.26 1.71 Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher expenditure, general government, percent of gdp, Australia or Japan?
Japan, at 39.44 against 37.53 in Australia as of 2031.
What is the difference in expenditure, general government, percent of gdp between Australia and Japan?
1.91, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Japan?
44 years are reported by both, from 1988 to 2031.
How do Australia and Japan rank globally for expenditure, general government, percent of gdp?
Australia ranks 10th and Japan ranks 7th of 26 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Monetary Fund, published as Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP (9/26/2025). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Australia vs Japan: Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/expenditure-general-government-percent-of-gdp-9-26-2025/australia/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure, General government, Percent of GDP (9/26/2025)
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
26 places, 1,067 data points, 1980–2031
Last refreshed

The World Economic Outlook (WEO) database is created during the biannual WEO exercise, which begins in January and June of each year and results in the April and September/October WEO publication. Selected series from the publication are available in a database format.