Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside Chile 2 times
Chile: 756,556 km² (2024) · Japan: 377,975 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 4.6 times as long as Chile’s
Chile: 6,435 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Chile’s highest peak towers 3,117 m above Japan’s
Chile: 6,893 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 14% of Chile, versus 13% of Japan
Chile: 14.4% (2024) · Japan: 12.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 6.2 times as many people as Chile
Chile: 19.9 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 13 times as densely populated as Chile
Chile: 27 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Chile and Japan are practically level
Chile: 172.9 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Chile are 0.9 cm taller than in Japan
Chile: 159.4 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 13 years older than in Chile
Chile: 36 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Japan and Chile are practically level
Chile: 1.14 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 15% in Chile
Chile: 14.6% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Japan hosts 2.6 times as many refugees per resident as Chile
Chile: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025) · Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Chile 1.0
Chile: 1 (2026) · Japan: 2.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
Chile and Japan are practically level
Chile: 1 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 12 times the size of Chile’s
Chile: $357 billion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 47% more per person than Chile
Chile: Int$37,774 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Chile than in Japan (Gini 10.7 points higher)
Chile: 43 (2024) · 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 0.4% in Chile
Chile: 0.4% (2024) · Japan: 1.2% (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.0% in Chile, versus 2.5% in Japan
Chile: 9% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Chile and Japan are practically level
Chile: 1.5% (2025) · Japan: 1.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Chile: 18.3% (2024) · Japan: no data
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Chile’s
Chile: 48% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 2.1 times as much on health per person as Chile
Chile: $1,760 (2024) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 2.7 years longer than in Chile
Chile: 81.4 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Chile is 3.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan
Chile: 5.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Chile has 26% more doctors per person than Japan
Chile: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 6.5 times as many hospital beds per person as Chile
Chile: 1.9 per 1,000 (2023) · Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Japan is 58% higher than in Chile
Chile: 9.1 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
41% of adults in Chile are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
Chile: 41.1% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Chile smoke, versus 18% in Japan
Chile: 26.7% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Chile rate their lives 0.17 points higher than in Japan
Chile: 6.30 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Chile drink 5% more alcohol than in Japan
Chile: 6.6 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Chile has 64% more meat per person than Japan
Chile: 98.5 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Chile has 387 kcal more food per person per day than Japan
Chile: 3,057 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Chile put in 296 more hours a year than in Japan
Chile: 1,950 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 1.4 years longer than in Chile
Chile: 11.3 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Japan welcomed 12% more tourists per resident than Chile (2019)
Chile: 0.27 (2024) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Japan has 20 more World Heritage sites than Chile (27 against 7)
Chile: 7 (2026) · Japan: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Japan has won 642 Olympic medals, Chile 15
Chile: 15 (2026 edition) · Japan: 642 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Chile are online, versus 86% in Japan
Chile: 96% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Chile is 31% faster than in Japan
Chile: 422 Mbps (2026) · Japan: 322 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Japan have electricity, versus 99% in Chile
Chile: 99% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 89% in Chile
Chile: 89% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Chile 133
Chile: 133 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 8.4 times as long as Chile’s
Chile: 2,396 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Chile fly 10% more passengers per resident than those from Japan
Chile: 1.07 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 24% of Chile
Chile: 24.5% (2024) · Japan: 68.3% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Chile
Chile: 4 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
66% of Chile’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan
Chile: 66.4% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Chile carries 2.2 times as much fine dust as in Japan
Chile: 23.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 28 times as likely to be murdered in Chile as in Japan
Chile: 6.3 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Chile are 4.3 times as deadly as in Japan
Chile: 16.3 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 3.3 °C warmer than Chile
Chile: 9.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 28% more rain than Chile
Chile: 1,425 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 Chile bigger than Japan?
Chile is larger. Japan fits inside Chile 2 times.
Which has more people, Chile or Japan?
Japan has 6.2 times as many people as Chile (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Chile or Japan?
People in Japan live 2.7 years longer than in Chile. Life expectancy at birth is 81.4 years in Chile and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Chile or Japan?
Chile and Japan are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
