Read the country behind the numbers

What to look for in Japan’s economy

Use output, prices and trade together to frame a question. The observations below describe reported periods; they do not establish why the latest news happened.

Growth and household pressures

Reported GDP growth was 1.2% in 2025. Growth describes a change in total output; it does not show how gains were shared. Retrieved 2026-08-17.

Consumer price inflation was 3.2% in 2025. Compare this period with the report you are reading. An annual national measure can differ from a household’s experience. Retrieved 2026-08-17.

Understand prices and purchasing power →

Goods export sectors and trading relationships

In the saved 2024 goods data, leading export categories include Vehicles and parts, Industrial machinery, Electrical machinery. These are goods categories, not a ranking of every industry: services and domestic production are outside this composition view.

Vehicles and parts: $143.2B · 20.7% of goods exports
Industrial machinery: $103.5B · 14.9% of goods exports
Electrical machinery: $102.8B · 14.8% of goods exports

Largest listed partners by combined reported imports and exports:

China: $267.6B
United States: $201.9B
South Korea: $74.8B

Trade values use current US dollars. Export sales are not profits, and trade concentration alone does not prove vulnerability.

Growth Lab at Harvard University: The Atlas of Economic Complexity · Observation 2024 · Retrieved 2026-09-04.

Inspect goods, imports and partner data →

Turn a headline into a question

If transport becomes more expensive, which imported inputs or exported goods might be exposed? Start with the reported product and route, then check suppliers, inventories and contracts. A large trade flow alone cannot predict a price increase.

Work through a shipping-cost example →

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Trade structure

See what Japan sells, buys, and depends on.

Explore 2024 goods categories, major trading partners, and six years of reported imports and exports.

Open Japan trade

Coverage roadmap

What this profile does not know yet

Central bank policy rate and upcoming meetings
Food, energy, and commodity dependencies beyond the displayed product categories
Foreign exchange reserves and current account