Deficit, Percent of own spending (Central government) in Japan
Japan: Deficit, Percent of own spending (Central government) was -1.25 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Deficit, Percent of own spending in Japan, 1990–2020
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
Japan recorded -1.25 for deficit, percent of own spending in 2020.
The figure is down 84.1% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, deficit, percent of own spending in Japan peaked at -0.1679 in 1990 and was at its lowest, -1.26, in 2011.
That places Japan 66th out of 66 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Deficit, Percent of own spending (Central government) in Japan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | -0.1679 | — |
| 1994 | -0.5436 | +223.7% |
| 1995 | -0.5336 | -1.8% |
| 1996 | -0.5338 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | -0.4842 | -9.3% |
| 1998 | -0.7923 | +63.6% |
| 1999 | -0.8816 | +11.3% |
| 2000 | -0.7812 | -11.4% |
| 2001 | -0.7935 | +1.6% |
| 2002 | -0.914 | +15.2% |
| 2003 | -0.8993 | -1.6% |
| 2004 | -0.8171 | -9.1% |
| 2005 | -0.6598 | -19.3% |
| 2006 | -0.5297 | -19.7% |
| 2007 | -0.4396 | -17.0% |
| 2008 | -0.7658 | +74.2% |
| 2009 | -1.26 | +64.4% |
| 2010 | -1.19 | -5.8% |
| 2011 | -1.26 | +6.4% |
| 2012 | -1.17 | -7.2% |
| 2013 | -1.06 | -9.7% |
| 2014 | -0.853 | -19.3% |
| 2015 | -0.7599 | -10.9% |
| 2016 | -0.7922 | +4.2% |
| 2017 | -0.6459 | -18.5% |
| 2018 | -0.5805 | -10.1% |
| 2019 | -0.6777 | +16.7% |
| 2020 | -1.25 | +84.1% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's -1.25 is below the median for high income countries, which is -0.2946, 4.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Japan's -1.25 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is -0.2172, 5.7× the median. (10 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Deficit, Percent of own spending (Central government) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | -223.7% | -0.1679 | -0.5436 |
| 2020 | -84.1% | -0.6777 | -1.25 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -0.5624 | -0.8816 | -0.1679 | 7 |
| 2000s | -0.7859 | -1.26 | -0.4396 | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.8984 | -1.26 | -0.5805 | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.25 | -1.25 | -1.25 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More public sector data for Japan
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 1.72 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 7.88 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 2.09 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is deficit, percent of own spending in Japan?
- Deficit, percent of own spending in Japan was -1.25 in 2020, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest deficit, percent of own spending recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was -0.1679 in 1990.
- What is the lowest deficit, percent of own spending recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.26 in 2011.
- How does Japan rank for deficit, percent of own spending?
- Japan ranks 66th out of 66 countries with data for 2020.
- Is deficit, percent of own spending rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Deficit, Percent of own spending (Central government). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Fiscal Decentralization dataset includes fiscal decentralization indicators for a sample of IMF member countries. The following indicators are included in the dataset: Revenue and Expenditure Decentralization Shares; Transfer dependency and Vertical Fiscal Imbalances; Deficit and Debt; Allocation of expenditure (economic classification); Allocation of expenditure (functional classification); Allocation of non-Tax Revenues; and Allocation of Taxes.