Japan vs Republic of Korea: Gross debt, General government, Domestic currency

Japan
1,506.42 trillion
in 2031
Republic of Korea
2,147.97 trillion
in 2031
Japan rank
3rd
Republic of Korea rank
2nd

Gross debt, General government, Domestic currency over time

  • Japan
  • Republic of Korea
0500.0T1,000.0T1,500.0T2,000.0T198020052031

How they compare

Republic of Korea currently reports 2,147.97 trillion against 1,506.42 trillion in Japan, a difference of 641.55 trillion.

That makes Republic of Korea's figure about 1.4 times Japan's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 42 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Japan ahead.

Japan ranks 3rd and Republic of Korea ranks 2nd of 26 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 3 and Republic of Korea in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Japan Republic of Korea Difference Ahead
1990s 409.54 trillion 46.80 trillion 362.74 trillion Japan
2000s 773.28 trillion 223.59 trillion 549.69 trillion Japan
2010s 1,068.27 trillion 623.94 trillion 444.33 trillion Japan
2020s 1,362.08 trillion 1,386.65 trillion 24.57 trillion Republic of Korea
2030s 1,490.64 trillion 2,083.26 trillion 592.62 trillion Republic of Korea

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher gross debt, general government, domestic currency, Japan or Republic of Korea?
Republic of Korea, at 2,147.97 trillion against 1,506.42 trillion in Japan as of 2031.
What is the difference in gross debt, general government, domestic currency between Japan and Republic of Korea?
641.55 trillion, with Republic of Korea ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Republic of Korea?
42 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2031.
How do Japan and Republic of Korea rank globally for gross debt, general government, domestic currency?
Japan ranks 3rd and Republic of Korea ranks 2nd of 26 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Monetary Fund, published as Gross debt, General government, Domestic currency (9/26/2025). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Japan vs Republic of Korea: Gross debt, General government, Domestic currency. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://debt.statizoid.com/compare/gross-debt-general-government-domestic-currency-9-26-2025/japan/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Gross debt, General government, Domestic currency (9/26/2025)
Source
International Monetary Fund
Licence
IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
26 places, 992 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.