Japan vs Republic of Korea: Primary net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), General government
Japan
-18.03 trillion
in 2031
Republic of Korea
-29.09 trillion
in 2031
Japan rank
22nd
Republic of Korea rank
23rd
Primary net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), General government over time
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
How they compare
Japan currently reports -18.03 trillion against -29.09 trillion in Republic of Korea, a difference of 11.06 trillion.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 37 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Republic of Korea ahead.
Japan ranks 22nd and Republic of Korea ranks 23rd of 24 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and Republic of Korea in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Republic of Korea | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -24.77 trillion | 12.59 trillion | 37.36 trillion | Republic of Korea |
| 2000s | -24.84 trillion | 8.09 trillion | 32.93 trillion | Republic of Korea |
| 2010s | -23.64 trillion | 15.23 trillion | 38.87 trillion | Republic of Korea |
| 2020s | -18.34 trillion | -31.74 trillion | 13.40 trillion | Japan |
| 2030s | -17.40 trillion | -29.18 trillion | 11.78 trillion | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher primary net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), general government, Japan or Republic of Korea?
- Japan, at -18.03 trillion against -29.09 trillion in Republic of Korea as of 2031.
- What is the difference in primary net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), general government between Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 11.06 trillion, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Republic of Korea?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2031.
- How do Japan and Republic of Korea rank globally for primary net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), general government?
- Japan ranks 22nd and Republic of Korea ranks 23rd of 24 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund, published as Primary net lending (+) / net borrowing (-), General government, Domestic currency (9/26/2025). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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.