Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Belgium fits inside Japan 12 times
Belgium: 30,689 km² (2024) · Japan: 377,975 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 447 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 67 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 3,082 m above Belgium’s
Belgium: 694 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Belgium, versus 13% of Japan
Belgium: 44.4% (2024) · Japan: 12.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 10 times as many people as Belgium
Belgium: 11.9 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Belgium is 16% more densely populated than Japan
Belgium: 392 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Belgium are 7.0 cm taller than in Japan
Belgium: 179.1 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Belgium are 4.9 cm taller than in Japan
Belgium: 163.4 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 7.5 years older than in Belgium
Belgium: 41.4 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Belgium have 0.3 more children on average than in Japan
Belgium: 1.44 children per woman (2024) · Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 21% in Belgium
Belgium: 21% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Belgium hosts 45 times as many refugees per resident as Japan
Belgium: 15.6 per 1,000 (2025) · Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Belgium has produced 8.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.5
Belgium: 8.4 (2026) · Japan: 2.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
Belgium has 3 official languages, Japan 1
Belgium: 3 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 6.1 times the size of Belgium’s
Belgium: $725 billion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Belgium produces 35% more per person than Japan
Belgium: Int$74,676 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in Belgium (Gini 5.5 points higher)
Belgium: 26.8 (2023) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
1.2% of people in Japan live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in Belgium
Belgium: 0.1% (2023) · Japan: 1.2% (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.9% in Belgium, versus 2.5% in Japan
Belgium: 5.9% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Belgium spends 2.0% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%
Belgium: 2% (2025) · Japan: 1.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Belgium: 23% (2024) · Japan: no data
How expensive is it?
Belgium’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Japan’s
Belgium: 81% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Belgium spends 63% more on health per person than Japan
Belgium: $5,931 (2023) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 1.7 years longer than in Belgium
Belgium: 82.3 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Belgium is 72% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan
Belgium: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Belgium has 35% more doctors per person than Japan
Belgium: 3.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 2.3 times as many hospital beds per person as Belgium
Belgium: 5.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Belgium is 5% higher than in Japan
Belgium: 15.1 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Belgium are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
Belgium: 22.9% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
24% of adults in Belgium smoke, versus 18% in Japan
Belgium: 23.5% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Belgium rate their lives 0.80 points higher than in Japan
Belgium: 6.93 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Belgium drink 52% more alcohol than in Japan
Belgium: 9.5 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Belgium and Japan are nearly identical here
Belgium: 60 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Belgium has 1,251 kcal more food per person per day than Japan
Belgium: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 61 more hours a year than in Belgium
Belgium: 1,593 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Belgium and Japan are practically level
Belgium: 12.7 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Belgium welcomed 2.7 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019)
Belgium: 0.81 (2024) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Japan has 11 more World Heritage sites than Belgium (27 against 16)
Belgium: 16 (2026) · Japan: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Japan has won 642 Olympic medals, Belgium 177
Belgium: 177 (2026 edition) · Japan: 642 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Belgium are online, versus 86% in Japan
Belgium: 96% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Japan is 27% faster than in Belgium
Belgium: 254 Mbps (2026) · Japan: 322 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Belgium and Japan are practically level
Belgium: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 88% in Belgium
Belgium: 88% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Belgium 104
Belgium: 104 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 5.6 times as long as Belgium’s
Belgium: 3,612 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 2% more passengers per resident than those from Belgium
Belgium: 0.95 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 22% of Belgium
Belgium: 22% (2024) · Japan: 68.3% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 7% more CO₂ than someone in Belgium
Belgium: 7.3 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
39% of Belgium’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan
Belgium: 38.9% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 13% more fine dust than in Belgium
Belgium: 9.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4.7 times as likely to be murdered in Belgium as in Japan
Belgium: 1.1 per 100k (2021) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Belgium are 79% deadlier than in Japan
Belgium: 6.8 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 1.7 °C warmer than Belgium
Belgium: 11°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2 times as much rain as Belgium
Belgium: 928 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Belgium bigger than Japan?
Japan is larger. Belgium fits inside Japan 12 times.
Which has more people, Belgium or Japan?
Japan has 10 times as many people as Belgium (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Belgium or Japan?
People in Japan live 1.7 years longer than in Belgium. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Belgium and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Belgium or Japan?
Men in Belgium are 7.0 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
