The US economy is significantly larger at $27.4 trillion GDP compared to Japan's $4.2 trillion, giving the US roughly 6.5x greater economic output. However, Japan has higher GDP per capita ($39,285 vs $82,235) and lower unemployment (2.5% vs 4.2%), indicating different economic structures and development patterns.
US Economy vs Japan Economy — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
World's largest economy with $28.7 trillion GDP and advanced service and technology sectors
World's third-largest economy by GDP, specializing in advanced technology, automotive, and robotics.
Nominal GDP. GDP Per Capita. Unemployment Rate. Population. Inflation Rate (2024). Government Debt-to-GDP Ratio. Export Value (Annual)
The US economy dominates in absolute scale and global influence with 6.5x larger GDP and stronger export capacity, making it the world's largest economy. Japan's economy, while smaller in size, demonstrates superior efficiency metrics with higher per-capita wealth, lower unemployment, and better price stability, reflecting a mature, high-income economy focused on quality over quantity. Choose the US economy for analyzing global economic leadership, investment scale, and diversified sectors; choose Japan's for studying efficiency, labor market stability, and advanced manufacturing excellence.
United States Economy: $30.0-30.5 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 17% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~6% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~16% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~3.8-4.0% | Japan Economy: N/A
Advanced Semiconductor Market Leadership
United States Economy: Dominant (Intel, TSMC partnership, Samsung); controls cutting-edge nodes | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 20-25% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Global leader in design and manufacturing | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Moderate exposure | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.2% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $925.8 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $4.18 trillion (2024) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 0.3-0.5% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 30.0+ | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $4,175 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $4,481 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~20% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 6% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Leading edge (3nm and below) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Minimal negative impact | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~10% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Leading in design and manufacturing | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Minimal (exporter advantage) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.0-2.5% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: €925.8 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 25-30% of global EVs | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 8-10% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~4.0% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $4,175,432 million (2024) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: €925,796.8 million | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $89,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $10,266.8 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $925.8 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Global market leader | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Lower exposure | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~6% of global | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Minimal | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 0.4-0.6% | Japan Economy: N/A
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
United States Economy: ~15% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $89,000+ | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 9% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 0.2-0.4pp | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 0.3-0.5% (from AI investment) | Japan Economy: N/A
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production Share
United States Economy: 4% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 15% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 12% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $50-150B | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $31.5 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.1% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 1st | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 123% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 335 million | Japan Economy: 125 million
United States Economy: $809 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: AI, semiconductors, cloud, fintech | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $35,000-45,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $94,430 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $11.1 trillion ahead | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Data not available | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~25-26% of global GDP | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 1st (maintained) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~1.8% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 26.2% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: Not specified | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $28.0 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $85,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $31 trillion | Japan Economy: $4.2 trillion
United States Economy: €10,217,935.3 million | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $3,981 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 44.5 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: ~2.8% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 1 EUR = 1.1797 USD | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $32.38 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.0-2.4% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.0% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $96,500+ | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $11.53 trillion lead | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $27.23 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 122.27% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 37.74% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 3.5% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $76,398 | Japan Economy: $31,546
United States Economy: 337 million | Japan Economy: 124 million
United States Economy: 2.8% | Japan Economy: 2.6%
United States Economy: 11.8% | Japan Economy: 19.3%
United States Economy: 26.3% | Japan Economy: 4.0%
United States Economy: 38.5 years | Japan Economy: 48.7 years
United States Economy: $27.4 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 4.2% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.9% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $156 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 167 companies | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 11.2% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $82,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $28.3 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $85,900 | Japan Economy: $39,285
United States Economy: 2.5% | Japan Economy: 1.2%
United States Economy: $2.4 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $285 billion (2023) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $27.4 trillion | Japan Economy: $4.2 trillion
United States Economy: $82,500 | Japan Economy: $32,100
United States Economy: 4.1% | Japan Economy: 2.5%
United States Economy: 123% | Japan Economy: 264%
United States Economy: $62,400 | Japan Economy: $39,200
United States Economy: 2.8% | Japan Economy: 2.5%
United States Economy: 339 million | Japan Economy: 123 million
United States Economy: 65% | Japan Economy: 8%
United States Economy: 2.5% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $81,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $0.13 trillion | Japan Economy: $1.2T
United States Economy: 16% | Japan Economy: 7.2%
United States Economy: $2.1 trillion | Japan Economy: $925 billion
United States Economy: $76,398 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 16.3% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $12.8 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 340 million | Japan Economy: 125 million
United States Economy: 4.2% | Japan Economy: 2.5%
United States Economy: 31% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 21% of electricity | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 136 companies | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $2.1 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $33.2 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.1% | Japan Economy: 1.0%
United States Economy: 80.1% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $285 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $31.2 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 17% | Japan Economy: 8%
United States Economy: -$73 billion deficit | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 4.0% | Japan Economy: 2.5%
United States Economy: -$773 billion (deficit) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 129% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $2.3T | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 11.5% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 4.1% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $820 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 625,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.7% | Japan Economy: 1.2%
United States Economy: 8.2% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: -$773 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: -$773 billion deficit | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: +0.4% (growing) | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $2.3 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 130% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $60,500 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 0.38 million | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 9.8% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $42.8 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 16% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $7.1 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 11.8% | Japan Economy: N/A
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (2024)
United States Economy: $269 billion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $27.9 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 63.0% | Japan Economy: N/A
Tech Sector Market Capitalization (Top 7 Companies)
United States Economy: $14.2 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2010-2023)
United States Economy: 2.4% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $28.2 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 26% of world GDP | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 0.48 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 17.3% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: -$773B | Japan Economy: +$229B
United States Economy: 3.4% | Japan Economy: 2.5%
United States Economy: 38.4 | Japan Economy: 49.2
United States Economy: 398,144 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 209 million | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $28.7 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $12.4 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 615,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $0.13 trillion | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 415,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $42 trillion | Japan Economy: $5.2 trillion
United States Economy: $120,000 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: $76,500 | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 680 GW | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 2.7% | Japan Economy: N/A
United States Economy: 32.4% | Japan Economy: N/A
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (Annual)
United States Economy: N/A | Japan Economy: $13.2 billion
United States Economy: N/A | Japan Economy: 20% (high-tech focused)
United States Economy: N/A | Japan Economy: 28%
United States Economy: N/A | Japan Economy: $26 billion
United States Economy: N/A | Japan Economy: 310,000
United States Economy: N/A | Japan Economy: 4th largest exporter
How to choose between United States Economy and Japan Economy
Compare United States Economy vs Japan Economy
US Economy vs Japan Economy — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for US Economy vs Japan Economy. Contains 229 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Why is US GDP so much larger than Japan's despite lower per-capita wealth?
The US has 2.7x larger population (333M vs 125M) and higher economic growth rates. While Japan's per-capita GDP ($39,285) significantly exceeds the US ($82,235), this reflects Japan's mature, high-income status. The US economy grows faster due to higher labor force growth, stronger immigration, and greater investment in emerging sectors like AI and biotech. Japan's economy stabilized decades ago, prioritizing quality-of-life improvements over expansion.
Why does Japan have such high government debt compared to the US?
Japan's 264% debt-to-GDP ratio stems from decades of stimulus spending since the 1990s asset bubble burst, combined with aging demographics requiring extensive social spending. The US, while at 123%, has benefited from stronger GDP growth and inflation eroding debt value. Critically, Japan's debt is mostly domestically held (93%), reducing default risk, whereas US debt relies more on foreign creditors. Both maintain low borrowing costs despite high debt due to strong institutional confidence.
How do the two economies differ in their main industries and strengths?
The US economy is diversified across technology (Apple, Microsoft, Google), finance (Wall Street), energy, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace. It leads in AI, cloud computing, and venture capital. Japan specializes in precision manufacturing, automotive (Toyota, Honda), robotics, semiconductor equipment, and consumer electronics. Japan's strength lies in process excellence and quality, while the US excels in innovation and scale. The US exports more diversified products; Japan's exports are concentrated in higher-value industrial goods.
Why is Japan's unemployment rate so much lower than the US?
Japan's 2.5% unemployment reflects structural labor market differences: strong employer-employee loyalty traditions, lifetime employment practices, and fewer job transitions. Declining population means fewer workers competing for available positions. The US's 4.2% rate reflects higher labor mobility, more frequent job changes, and a larger workforce experiencing cyclical unemployment. Japan's low rate also reflects underemployment—many workers accept part-time roles rather than leaving the labor force entirely.
Which economy is better for investment: US or Japan?
The US offers higher growth potential (average 2.5% annual GDP growth) and exposure to high-growth sectors (AI, biotech, renewable energy), but with higher volatility and inflation. Japan offers stability and lower inflation (2.5%), attractive dividend yields from mature companies, and defensive characteristics during downturns. Most global investors maintain both: US for growth exposure, Japan for stability and currency diversification. US stock returns have significantly outpaced Japan's over the past 15 years due to tech sector dominance.
How to Choose Between United States Economy and Japan Economy
Nominal GDP: United States Economy has $27.4 trillion, while Japan Economy has $4.2 trillion.
GDP Per Capita: United States Economy has $82,235, while Japan Economy has $39,285.
Unemployment Rate: United States Economy has 4.2%, while Japan Economy has 2.5%.
Population: United States Economy has 333 million, while Japan Economy has 125 million.
Inflation Rate (2024): United States Economy has 3.4%, while Japan Economy has 2.5%.
Government Debt-to-GDP Ratio: United States Economy has 123%, while Japan Economy has 264%.
Export Value (Annual): United States Economy has $2.1 trillion, while Japan Economy has $925 billion.