Germany and Japan
Germany and Japan connect industry, research and diplomatic coordination. Economic security and supply chains add a strategic dimension to a longstanding relationship.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Diplomacy and international coordination
The first intergovernmental consultations were held in March 2023.
Industry and technology
The trade relationship covers machinery, vehicles, components, pharmaceutical products and electronic equipment.
Economic security and political cooperation
Intergovernmental consultations allow industrial and strategic issues to be addressed together.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 49,350.79 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Goods: Germany to Japan | 24,039.68 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Goods: Japan to Germany | 25,311.11 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: Germany to Japan | 1.36 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU |
| Export share: Japan to Germany | ||
| Investment stock: Germany in Japan | ||
| Investment stock: Japan in Germany |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods; full year; DEU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Germany to Japan
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods; full year; DEU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Japan to Germany
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods; full year; DEU reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: Germany to Japan
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / DEU · Goods share: DEU exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
Year-on-year inflation: different periods or frequencies; the two figures are not directly comparable.
| Indicator | Germany | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 5.05 trillion USD2025 · WB | 4.44 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 60,496.44 USD2025 · WB | 35,951.05 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 0.24 %2025 · WB | 1.19 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE | 1.25 %2026-09-24 · BoJ |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 3.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.3 %provisionalprovisionalYear-on-year · Sept. 2026 · Destatis | 1.9 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · Statistics JP |
| Unemployment | 3.71 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 2.45 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -2.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -1.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 62.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 206.5 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 4.51 %2025 · WB | 4.86 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 83,491,2492025 · WB | 123,366,7342025 · WB |
| Area | 357,680 km²2023 · WB | 377,969 km²2023 · BM / FAO |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDGermany: 2025 · World BankJapan: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personGermany: 2025 · World BankJapan: 2025 · World Bank
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)Germany: 2025 · World BankJapan: 2025 · World Bank
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)Germany: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central BankJapan: 2026-09-24 · Approximate target for the uncollateralised overnight rate · Bank of Japan
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)Germany: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World BankJapan: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedGermany: 2026-09 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Destatis · Published: 2026-09-30 · provisional · Provisional · National headline CPI, year-on-year, not monthly inflation or an annual average. Provisional data or an official advance release; subject to revision.Japan: 2026-08 · Change in headline CPI from the same month of the previous year (%) · Statistics Bureau of Japan · Published: 2026-09-18 · National headline CPI, 2025 base; includes fresh food and energy. The measure excluding fresh food (1.7%) and the preliminary Tokyo release are not used.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionGermany: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Japan: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Japan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)Germany: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Japan: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPGermany: 2025 · World BankJapan: 2025 · World Bank
- Population
- PeopleGermany: 2025 · World BankJapan: 2025 · World Bank
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceGermany: 2023 · Area according to the series' coverage; does not determine sovereignty or effective control · World BankJapan: 2023 · Total area, including inland waters; source's territorial coverage · World Bank · FAO
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
Germany to Japan
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Vehicles and components | 5,091.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 4,716.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 3,138.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2,052.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 91.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 19.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 4.7 M USD2025 · Source |
Japan to Germany
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 5,521.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 5,463.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Vehicles and components | 3,405.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 580.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Meat and edible offal | 12.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 6.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Metal ores | 2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Dairy products, eggs and honey | 0.1 M USD2025 · Source |
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | Germany to Japan | Japan to Germany |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50,014.9 | 21,754.5 | 28,260.4 |
| 2022 | 49,526.1 | 21,958.1 | 27,567.9 |
| 2023 | 50,323.5 | 22,163.9 | 28,159.7 |
| 2024 | 46,866 | 22,874.2 | 23,991.8 |
| 2025 | 49,350.8 | 24,039.7 | 25,311.1 |
Connections between people
University exchanges, cultural societies and the Japanese-German Center in Berlin form a stable network of contacts beyond ministerial visits. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from Germany living in Japan | ||
| Residents from Japan living in Germany | ||
| Study and training: Germany in Japan | ||
| Study and training: Japan in Germany | ||
| Academic stays: Germany in Japan | ||
| Academic stays: Japan in Germany | ||
| Travel: Germany to Japan | ||
| Travel: Japan to Germany |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Diplomacy and international coordination
The first intergovernmental consultations were held in March 2023. Both participate in the G7 and G20 and, alongside India and Brazil, promote Security Council reform through the G4. Japan cooperates with NATO but is not a member of the alliance. [1]
Industry and technology
The trade relationship covers machinery, vehicles, components, pharmaceutical products and electronic equipment. Trade is not limited to selling finished goods: companies from both countries participate in industrial networks dependent on suppliers, patents and technical standards. [1]
Universities and cultural ties
The Japanese-German Center in Berlin, created in 1985, complements a network of cultural societies, schools and academic institutions. The German ministry records more than eight hundred university collaborations. These are institutional agreements, not a figure for students traveling each year. [1]
The scale of both economies
Nominal GDP for Germany is 5,050.9 billion USD (2025), compared with 4,435.2 for Japan (2025). The reference populations are 83.49 and 123.37 million, respectively. In the same year, the economy of Germany was 1.14 times that of Japan in nominal GDP. The comparison provides context on market size, but does not, on its own, measure influence, well-being or diplomatic closeness. Estimates and their sources retain their labels in the tables. [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Economic security and political cooperation
Intergovernmental consultations allow industrial and strategic issues to be addressed together. International coordination coexists with private companies' commercial decisions; participation in the same forum therefore does not automatically turn every investment into a government initiative. [1]
What merchandise trade shows
In 2025, merchandise trade between the two countries (Germany and Japan) totalled 49,350.8 million current USD. Shipments from the first to the second were 24,039.7 million; those in the opposite direction, 25,311.1 million. The difference between the two flows was 1,271.4 million, in favour of Japan. This is a goods balance, not the total balance of the economic relationship: it excludes services, income and transfers. Both directions come from a single customs reporter to avoid adding mirror records. [2]
The partner's share of exports
Sales from Germany to the partner represented 1.36% of its worldwide goods exports in 2025. The share compares the same reporter, year and coverage. It measures export concentration, not the percentage of GDP dependent on this relationship. A partner may be important in a specific sector even if its share of total goods trade is small. [2]
Five years of trade trends
The consistent series shows 50,014.9 million USD in 2021 and 49,350.8 million in 2025. The change between the two endpoints was -1.3 % in current dollars. The highest annual value in the period was recorded in 2023, at 50,323.5 million. The chart allows the two directions to be compared to see whether they moved together or differently. The change combines quantities, prices and exchange rates; it is not automatically attributed to a treaty, a visit or a political decision. The same reporter is retained and missing years are not interpolated. [3]
Documented trade sectors
Within the selected chapters, vehicles and components stands out in shipments from Germany to Japan, at 5,091.5 million USD in 2025. Within the selected chapters, machinery and mechanical appliances stands out in shipments from Japan to Germany, at 5,521.8 million USD in 2025. The table compares eight selected chapters with the same coverage as the trade total. It is not a complete list or proof that the first item in this selection is the leading product across the entire relationship. A chapter groups numerous goods: machinery and components, for example, do not describe a single business transaction. [4]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Institutional sources and periods accompany each figure. Annual trade, investment positions, residents and visits are distinct measures. Empty cells do not mean zero. Statements of intent are not presented as project implementation or treaties in force.
- Bilateral relations: JPN-DEU
Germany's Federal Foreign Office · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 276; partners 0,392,36,76,792,784,682,376,818,124,710,528,56,756
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Trade series 2021–2025
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Selected HS2 chapters; reporter 276; annual 2025; same partner/flow/coverage as total
UN Comtrade / DEU · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / DEU
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · Selected HS2 chapters; reporter 276; annual 2025; same partner/flow/coverage as total.