Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France is 60% bigger than Japan.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · Japan: 377,969 km² (2023)
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)
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 Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
France: 9.3 (2025) · Japan: 2.4 (2025)
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 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 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
France: 2.1% (2024) · Japan: 1.4% (2024)
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 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)
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)
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 32% of France.
France: 32.5% (2023) · Japan: 68.4% (2023)
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 74% deadlier than in Japan.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021)
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)
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).
