Australia and Japan Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

Australia and Japan present a fascinating comparison. Australia’s population is about one-fifth that of Japan, yet it boasts a land area over 20 times larger. While Japan’s economy is 2.5 times bigger, Australians enjoy a significantly higher income per person. Australia also has greater economic freedom but faces higher income inequality. In defense spending, Australia allocates a larger share of its GDP, but Japan’s total expenditure is much greater. Trade dynamics reveal Australia imports less and exports primarily raw materials, while Japan focuses on cars and machinery.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Australia	Japan	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	26.01 million (54th)	125.12 million (11th)	Australia’s population is approximately 0.21 times that of Japan.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	7.74 million sq. km (6th)	0.38 million sq. km (61st)	Australia is 20.4 times larger than Japan.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	1,692.96B USD (12th)	4,256.41B USD (3rd)	Japan’s total GDP is 2.5 times larger than Australia’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$65,100 (13th)	34,017 USD (33rd)	Australia’s GDP per capita is roughly 91% higher than Japan’s, with Australians producing about $31,082 more per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Australia	Japan	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.946 (10th)	0.92 (24th)	Australia’s HDI is 0.946 (very high), while Japan’s is 0.920 (very high). Australia’s score is 0.026 higher, indicating a slight advantage in human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	76.2 (12th)	67.5 (36th)	Australia’s Index of Economic Freedom is 12.9% higher than Japan’s, 8.7 points more.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	34.3 (2018 est.)	32.9 (2013 est.)	With a 4.3% higher Gini coefficient, Australia has a higher degree of income inequality than Japan.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Japan
Total imports	363.57B USD	989.84B
Imports % of GDP	19.71%	25.30%
Main import partners	China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5%	China 22%, Australia 10%, US 10%, UAE 5%, Saudi Arabia 4%
Main import items	refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products	crude petroleum, natural gas, coal, integrated circuits, garments
Total exports	447.51B USD	920.74B
Exports % of GDP	25.43%	21.54%
Main export Partners	China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6%	US 19%, China 19%, South Korea 7%, Taiwan 7%, Thailand 4%
Main export items	coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat	cars, machinery, integrated circuits, vehicle parts/accessories, refined petroleum

Australia’s imports are about 37% of Japan’s, and Australia imports 22% less of its GDP compared to Japan’s imports. Australia’s exports are 447.51B USD, mainly coal and minerals, while Japan’s are 920.74B USD, focusing on cars and machinery.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	Japan
Military expenditure	32.3B USD	50.2B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	1.90%	1.08%
Active military	59k	247k
Active military per 1,000 capita	3.8	2.6

Australia’s military expenditure is 35% lower at $32.34 billion compared to Japan’s $50.16 billion, and while Australia allocates a larger percentage of its GDP (1.90%) to defense than Japan (1.08%), Japan’s overall spending remains significantly higher.