China vs Japan: Government expenditure on primary education, US$
China
219,842 millions
in 2023
Japan
53,602 millions
in 1998
China rank
2nd
Japan rank
3rd
Government expenditure on primary education, US$ over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 219,842 millions against 53,602 millions in Japan, a difference of 166,240 millions.
That makes China's figure about 4.1 times Japan's.
Across all 10 years both countries report, Japan has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 3rd of 154 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,390 millions | 25,739 millions | 24,349 millions | Japan |
| 1990s | 4,463 millions | 56,463 millions | 52,000 millions | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government expenditure on primary education, us$, China or Japan?
- China, at 219,842 millions against 53,602 millions in Japan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government expenditure on primary education, us$ between China and Japan?
- 166,240 millions, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 1998.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for government expenditure on primary education, us$?
- China ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 3rd of 154 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Government expenditure on primary education, US$ (millions). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release