Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France is 60% bigger than Japan
France: 606,410 km² (2024) · Japan: 377,975 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 6.1 times as long as France’s
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 1,034 m above Japan’s
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of France, versus 13% of Japan
France: 52.8% (2024) · Japan: 12.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 80% more people than France
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 2.7 times as densely populated as France
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 6.5 cm taller than in Japan
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 6.0 cm taller than in Japan
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 7.1 years older than in France
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.5 more children on average than in Japan
France: 1.61 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 23% in France
France: 22.5% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
France hosts 33 times as many refugees per resident as Japan
France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.5
France: 9.5 (2026) · Japan: 2.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
France and Japan are practically level
France: 1 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 32% larger than France’s
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 15% more per person than Japan
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in France (Gini 0.5 points higher)
France: 31.8 (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 France
France: 0.1% (2023) · Japan: 1.2% (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 2.5% in Japan
France: 7.5% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France spends 2.0% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%
France: 2% (2025) · Japan: 1.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
France: 22.8% (2024) · Japan: no data
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Japan’s
France: 77% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 46% more on health per person than Japan
France: $5,327 (2024) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 1.1 years longer than in France
France: 83 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in France is 89% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
France has 24% more doctors per person than Japan
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 2.2 times as many hospital beds per person as France
France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Japan is 4% higher than in France
France: 13.9 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
13% of adults in France are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
France: 12.5% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 18% in Japan
France: 33.6% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 0.46 points higher than in Japan
France: 6.59 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 79% more alcohol than in Japan
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 34% more meat per person than Japan
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
France has 819 kcal more food per person per day than Japan
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 167 more hours a year than in France
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 0.92 years longer than in France
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 4.5 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019)
France: 1.35 (2019) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
France has 29 more World Heritage sites than Japan (56 against 27)
France: 56 (2026) · Japan: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, Japan 642
France: 985 (2026 edition) · Japan: 642 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in France are online, versus 86% in Japan
France: 89% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in France is 43% faster than in Japan
France: 460 Mbps (2026) · Japan: 322 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Japan are practically level
France: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 79% in France
France: 79% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117
France: 117 (2023) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 38% longer than Japan’s
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 4% more passengers per resident than those from France
France: 0.94 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 33% of France
France: 32.9% (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 France
France: 4 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of France’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan
France: 26.1% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 18% more fine dust than in France
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5.9 times as likely to be murdered in France as in Japan
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 2 times as deadly as in Japan
France: 7.6 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 1.4 °C warmer than Japan
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 58% more rain than France
France: 1,158 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 France bigger than Japan?
France is larger. France is 60% bigger than Japan.
Which has more people, France or Japan?
Japan has 80% more people than France (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Japan?
People in Japan live 1.1 years longer than in France. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in France or Japan?
Men in France are 6.5 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
