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In 2024, Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by percent at current prices. A year earlier, the highest growth rate of Japan’s nominal GDP in almost three decades was recorded. The nominal GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced in an economy, including price changes.

GDP growth and inflation

Japan’s real GDP growth, which is adjusted for inflation, was lower at *** percent. After decades of struggling with deflation and attempts to reach a two percent inflation target with economic stimulus packages and monetary easing policies, consumer prices in Japan increased by almost *** percent in 2023, led by global inflation. This development prompted the Bank of Japan to shift its monetary policy and raise the short-term interest rate for the first time in 17 years in 2024. 

Japan lost its status as the third-largest economy

Many countries have raised interest rates in response to higher inflation in the past years. Since Japan’s central bank has done so at a much slower pace, a widening interest gap emerged between Japan and other major economies of the world. This is also one of the reasons for the depreciation of the yen against the dollar. Due to the weak yen, Japan’s GDP declined when converted into U.S. dollars, resulting in Japan losing its status as the third-largest economy in terms of GDP to Germany in 2023.