Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside China 25 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Japan: 377,969 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 2.1 times as long as China’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 5,073 m above Japan’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 11 times as many people as Japan.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 2.3 times as densely populated as China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 3.6 cm taller than in Japan.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 5.0 cm taller than in Japan.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 9.9 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Japan have 0.1 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 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 China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Japan: 2.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Japan are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 4.4 times the size of Japan’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 89% more per person than China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Japan (Gini 3.7 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 2.5% in Japan.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China and Japan are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Japan: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 4.8 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 6 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 2.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 17% more doctors per person than Japan.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
9.1% of adults in China are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Japan rate their lives 0.06 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Japan drink 70% more alcohol than in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 23% more meat per person than Japan.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
China has 857 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 674 more hours a year than in Japan.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 4.6 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Japan welcomed 6.4 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 86% in Japan.
China: 92% (2025) · Japan: 86% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Japan are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132.
China: 132 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 5.5 times as long as Japan’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 2.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (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 China.
China: 24% (2023) · Japan: 68.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 11% more CO₂ than someone in Japan.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
China: 37% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3 times as much fine dust as in Japan.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.2 times as likely to be murdered in China as in Japan.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 6.4 times as deadly as in Japan.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 4.9 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.2 times as much rain as China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Japan?
China is larger. Japan fits inside China 25 times.
Which has more people, China or Japan?
China has 11 times as many people as Japan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Japan?
People in Japan live 6 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in China or Japan?
Men in China are 3.6 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
