Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside Canada 41 times.
Canada: 15,634,400 km² (2023) · Japan: 377,969 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Canada’s coastline is 6.8 times as long as Japan’s.
Canada: 202,080 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Canada’s highest peak towers 2,183 m above Japan’s.
Canada: 5,959 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 3 times as many people as Canada.
Canada: 41.7 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 71 times as densely populated as Canada.
Canada: 5 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Canada are 6.7 cm taller than in Japan.
Canada: 178.8 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Canada are 6.2 cm taller than in Japan.
Canada: 164.7 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 8.6 years older than in Canada.
Canada: 40.3 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Canada have 0.1 more children on average than in Japan.
Canada: 1.25 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 20% in Canada.
Canada: 20.3% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Canada has produced 5.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Canada: 5.3 (2025) · Japan: 2.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Canada has 2 official languages, Japan 1.
Canada: 2 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 91% larger than Canada’s.
Canada: $2.32 trillion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Canada produces 20% more per person than Japan.
Canada: Int$66,746 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in Canada (Gini 0.8 points higher).
Canada: 31.5 (2022) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.9% in Canada, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Canada: 6.9% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Japan and Canada are practically level.
Canada: 1.3% (2024) · Japan: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Canada’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Japan’s.
Canada: 83% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Canada spends 75% more on health per person than Japan.
Canada: $6,378 (2024) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 1.9 years longer than in Canada.
Canada: 82.1 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Canada is 2.6 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
Canada: 4.7 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Canada has 6% more doctors per person than Japan.
Canada: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
27% of adults in Canada are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Canada: 27.1% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Japan smoke, versus 11% in Canada.
Canada: 11.2% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Canada rate their lives 0.61 points higher than in Japan.
Canada: 6.74 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Canada drink 48% more alcohol than in Japan.
Canada: 9.2 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Canada has 58% more meat per person than Japan.
Canada: 94.8 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Canada has 920 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Canada: 3,590 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Canada put in 77 more hours a year than in Japan.
Canada: 1,731 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Canada went to school 1.2 years longer than in Japan.
Canada: 13.9 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Canada welcomed 62% more tourists per resident than Japan (2019).
Canada: 0.48 (2024) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Canada are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Canada: 94% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Canada and Japan are practically level.
Canada: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 83% in Canada.
Canada: 83% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Canada 94.
Canada: 94 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Canada’s railway network is 2.4 times as long as Japan’s.
Canada: 48,150 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Canada fly 2.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from Japan.
Canada: 2.13 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 39% of Canada.
Canada: 39.5% (2023) · Japan: 68.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Canada emits 73% more CO₂ than someone in Japan.
Canada: 13.4 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Canada’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Canada: 63.9% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 50% more fine dust than in Canada.
Canada: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 8.6 times as likely to be murdered in Canada as in Japan.
Canada: 2 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Canada are 74% deadlier than in Japan.
Canada: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 15.7 °C warmer than Canada.
Canada: -3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.7 times as much rain as Canada.
Canada: 683 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Canada bigger than Japan?
Canada is larger. Japan fits inside Canada 41 times.
Which has more people, Canada or Japan?
Japan has 3 times as many people as Canada (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Canada or Japan?
People in Japan live 1.9 years longer than in Canada. Life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years in Canada and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Canada or Japan?
Men in Canada are 6.7 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
