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US vs Japan GDP
United States has held the lead throughout the published window. In 1960 Japan stood at roughly 9% of United States’s GDP; today the figure is about 14%, and the pair was closest in 1995 (74%).
| Year | United States | Japan | Japan as % of US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 541,988,586,206.9 | 48,417,804,544.93 | 9% |
| 1970 | 1,073,303,000,000 | 221,798,003,144.44 | 21% |
| 1980 | 2,857,307,000,000 | 1,153,159,955,513.08 | 40% |
| 1990 | 5,963,144,000,000 | 3,252,994,239,867.4 | 55% |
| 2000 | 10,250,952,000,000 | 5,042,381,838,343.44 | 49% |
| 2010 | 15,048,971,000,000 | 5,811,578,109,447.07 | 39% |
| 2020 | 21,375,281,000,000 | 5,189,197,543,645.38 | 24% |
| 2025 | 30,769,700,000,000 | 4,435,162,999,976.94 | 14% |
Frequently asked questions
When did United States pass Japan in GDP?
It has not come to that. United States has held the larger GDP in every published year (1960–2025).
How do United States and Japan compare today?
United States is ahead: 30,769,700,000,000 against 4,435,162,999,976.94 — the trailing economy stands at about 14% of the leader.
Are these GDP figures nominal or adjusted?
They are exactly as the World Bank publishes them — current US$ — with no inflation restatement, no PPP conversion and no interpolation for missing years.
Full series
Every published year for both economies, with charts, downloads and citations: