Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan is 12% bigger than Finland.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · Japan: 377,969 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 24 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 2,448 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 22 times as many people as Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 18 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 8.5 cm taller than in Japan.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 8.0 cm taller than in Japan.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 6.2 years older than in Finland.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Finland have 0.1 more children on average than in Japan.
Finland: 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 24% in Finland.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · Japan: 2.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, Japan 1.
Finland: 2 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 14 times the size of Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 19% more per person than Japan.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in Finland (Gini 4.9 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · Japan: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Japan’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 52% more on health per person than Japan.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 1.7 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Finland is 6% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 36% more doctors per person than Japan.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 1.63 points higher than in Japan.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 50% more alcohol than in Japan.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Finland has 16% more meat per person than Japan.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Finland has 676 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 157 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 0.3 years longer than in Japan.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 2.7 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Finland are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Finland: 94% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and Japan are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 3.4 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 2 times as many passengers per resident as those from Japan.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 68% of Japan.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · Japan: 68.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 47% more CO₂ than someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 94% more fine dust than in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4.3 times as likely to be murdered in Finland as in Japan.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Finland are 56% deadlier than in Japan.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 9.2 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.4 times as much rain as Finland.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than Japan?
Japan is larger. Japan is 12% bigger than Finland.
Which has more people, Finland or Japan?
Japan has 22 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or Japan?
People in Japan live 1.7 years longer than in Finland. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Finland or Japan?
Men in Finland are 8.5 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
