China And Japan Decouple Amid Demographic Decline
As China and Japan begin decoupling economically from one another, it is worth asking if they might not be stronger together since they face similar challenges.
Japan GDP and Economic Data
Includes Japan real Gross Domestic Product growth rate, with latest forecasts and historical data, GDP per capita, GDP composition and breakdown by sector.
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Japan economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Japan best banks and safest banks are also available.
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International Reserves
USD 1,271 billion (2018)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
Intl$ 5,594.5 billion (2018, estimate)
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Real GDP growth
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 1.7% | -1.1% | -5.4% | 4.2% | -0.1% | 1.5% | 2% |
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | ||
| 0.4% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 1.9% | 0.8% |
*Estimate
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GDP (PPP) - share of world total
| 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2019* |
| 7.79% | 8.89% | 6.66% | 4.94% | 4.0% |
*Estimate
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GDP - composition by sector
- agriculture: 1.2%
- industry: 29.1%
- services: 69.1%
(2016 estimate)
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP)
3.2% (2017)
OECD, data retrieved October 2019
Inflation
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
| 0.8% | -0.1% | 0.5% | 1% | 1% |
*Estimate
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Unemployment rate
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | 2019* |
| 3.4% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.4% | 2.4% |
*Estimate
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Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | 2019* |
| 231.6% | 236.3% | 235% | 237.1% | 237.7% |
*Estimate
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Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | 2018* | 2019* |
| -3.8% | -3.7% | -3.2% | -3.2% | -3% |
*Estimate
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Government bond ratings
Standard & Poor's: A+
Moody's: A1
Standard & Poor's / Moody's
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Market value of publicly traded shares
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 4,955.3 billion | USD 6,222.8 billion | USD 5,296.8 billion |
Largest companies
Gunma Bank, Iyo Bank, Nippon Steel Trading, Suzuken, Juroku Bank, Hyakugo Bank, Hakuhodo DY Holdings, Seiko Epson, Shiga Bank, Hanwa, Toho Bank, Tokyu Fudosan, Ogaki Kyoritsu Bank, San-In Godo Bank, Nanto Bank, Hitachi, Central Japan Railway, East Japan Railway, Denso, JXTG Holdings, MS&AD Insurance, Seven & I Holdings, Japan Tobacco, Sumitomo, Panasonic, Canon, Nippon Steel, Orix, Mitsubishi Electric, Bridgestone, Toshiba, Marubeni, Daiwa House Industry, Japan Exchange Group, Sojitz, Shimizu, Kyushu Electric Power, Hoya, Meiji Holdings, Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Tohoku Electric Power, Tokyo Century, Kobe Steel, Oriental Land, Cosmo Energy Holdings, Terumo, Ricoh, Concordia Financial Group, Kansai Electric Power, Fujitsu, Asahi Group Holdings, Fujifilm Holdings, Recruit Holdings, JFE Holdings, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Murata Manufacturing, Kubota, Rakuten, Aisin Seiki, Kirin Holdings, Nidec, Astellas Pharma, Asahi Kasei, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Toppan Printing, Nitto Denko, Bandai Namco Holdings, Mitsui OSK Lines, Nippon Express, Haseko, Pearson, Hokuhoku Financial Group, SG Holdings, SBI Holdings, IHI, Nishi-nippon Financial Holdings, Kyushu Financial Group, Makita, San ju San Financial Group, Bank of Nagoya, Nomura Research Institute, Nippon Paint, Tomony Holdings, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Toyota Boshoku, Nippon Paper Industries, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company,, Fuyo General Lease, Mitsui Fudosan, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Komatsu, Suzuki Motor, Sompo, Shin-Etsu Chemical, Tokyo Electric Power, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust, Daikin Industries, Toyota Industries, Subaru, Mitsubishi Chemical, Fast Retailing, Toyota Tsusho, Mitsubishi Estate, Osaka Gas, Medipal Holdings, NEXON, Nippon Yusen, Kintetsu, Showa Denko, Shizuoka Bank, Alfresa Holdings, Lixil Group, OMRON, Nitori Holdings, Iida Group Holdings, Sekisui Chemical, Mebuki Financial Group, Mitsubishi Materials, Pan Pacific International Holdings, Yamaguchi Financial, NSK, Hachijuni Bank, Ajinomoto, Olympus, Renesas Electronics, North Pacific Bank, Minebea, Bank of Kyoto, Hiroshima Bank, Shimano, 77 Bank, Chugoku Bank, Tosoh, Shionogi, Dai Nippon Printing, Unicharm, Mitsui Chemicals, Koito Manufacturing, Fukuoka Financial Group, Shinsei Bank, Chugoku Electric Power, Daishi Hokuetsu Financial Group, Yamato Holdings, Eisai, Electric Power Development, Chiba Bank, Oji Holdings, Sumitomo Chemical, Tokyo Electron, Otsuka Holding, Isuzu Motors, Keyence, Japan Airlines, Fanuc, Dentsu, Mitsubishi Motors, Tokyo Gas, Daiwa Securities, Mazda Motor, Secom, Daiichi Sankyo, Inpex, Sumitomo Electric, Nintendo, Aeon, Resona Holdings, Sumitomo Realty, Idemitsu Kosan, Kao, Kyocera, West Japan Railway, Toray Industries, Chubu Electric Power, Sekisui House, All Nippon Airways, T&D Holdings, Nomura, Taisei, TDK, Kajima, Obayashi, Suntory Beverage & Food, AGC, Sharp, SMC, Shiseido, NEC, Yamaha Motor, Daito Trust Construction, Tokyu, Mitsubishi UFJ Lease, Sumitomo Metal Mining, Toyota Motor, Softbank, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Nippon Telegraph & Tel, Japan Post Holdings, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, Sony, Honda Motor, Mitsubishi, Mizuho Financial, Nissan Motor, Tokio Marine Holdings, KDDI, Itochu, Mitsui, Dai-ichi Life Insurance, Universal Entertainment, Aozora Bank, Senshu Ikeda Holdings, Orient, Tokyo Kiraboshi Financial Group, JTEKT, Keiyo Bank, Japan Securities, Hyakujushi Bank, Hokkoku Bank, Yamada Denki, Jaccs, Kiyo Bank, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Musashino Bank
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Current account balance by percentage of GDP
3.5 % (2018 estimate)
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Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services)
17.8% (2017)
Shares in world total merchandising export
3.79% (2018)
Shares in world total commercial services export
3.25% (2018)
Export commodities
14.9 motor vehicles, 5.4 iron and steel products, 5 semiconductors, 4.8 auto parts, 3.5 power generating machinery, 3.3 plastic materials (2014 est.)
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Import commodities
16.1 petroleum, 9.1 liquid natural gas, 3.8 clothing, 3.3 semiconductors, 2.4 coal, 1.4 audio and visual apparatus (2014 est.)
Exports - major partners
US 19.4%, China 19%, South Korea 7.6%, Hong Kong 5.1%, Thailand 4.2% (2017)
Imports - major partners
China 24.5%, US 11%, Australia 5.8%, South Korea 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2017)
FDI inflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 17,751 million | USD 10,430 million | USD 9,858 million |
FDI outflows
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 151,301 million | USD 160,449 million | USD 143,161 million |
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| USD 50,623 million | USD 73,398 million | USD 65,428 million | USD 36,026 million |
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014
Suntory Holdings Ltd, Beam Inc, United States, USD 13.9 billion / Investor Group, Grohe AG, Germany, USD 4.0 billion
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co Ltd, HCC Insurance Holdings Inc, United States, USD 7.5 billion / The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co Ltd, Protective Life Corp, United States, USD 5.7 billion / Japan Post Co Ltd, Toll Holdings Ltd, Australia, USD 5.1 billion
Best countries for doing business
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking:
29 out of 190 countries
Subcategories:
Starting a Business: 106 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 18 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 14 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 43 out of 190 countries
Getting Credit: 94 out of 190 countries
Protecting Minority Investors: 57 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 51 out of 190 countries
Trading across Borders: 57 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 50 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 3 out of 190 countries
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Global competitiveness ranking
6 out of 141 countries
(2019)
Index of Economic Freedom
Ranking: 30 / Score: 72.1 (Mostly free)
(100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
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Religions
Shintoism 79.2%, Buddhism 66.8%, Christianity 1.5%, other 7.1%Shintoism 70.4%, Buddhism 69.8%, Christianity 1.5%, other 6.9% (2015 est.)
Total population
| 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020* |
| 123.44 million | 126.83 million | 127.59 million | 126.98 million | 125.76 million |
*Estimate
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Urban population as % of total population
| 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2018 |
| 63.3% | 76.2% | 78.6% | 91.6% |
Freedom House rating
Free
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1 (2019)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
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Total telephone subscribers as % of population
Fixed: 49.9% Mobile: 139.2% (2018)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)
Mercer Cost of living index
Tokyo: 2nd
Osaka: 19th
Nagoya: 33rd
(2019)
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