Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan is 6% bigger than Germany.
Germany: 357,680 km² (2023) · Japan: 377,969 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 12 times as long as Germany’s.
Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 813 m above Germany’s.
Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 48% more people than Germany.
Germany: 83.5 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 42% more densely populated than Germany.
Germany: 239 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 8.2 cm taller than in Japan.
Germany: 180.3 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 7.7 cm taller than in Japan.
Germany: 166.2 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 3.8 years older than in Germany.
Germany: 45.1 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Germany have 0.2 more children on average than in Japan.
Germany: 1.36 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 Germany.
Germany: 23.7% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Germany: 10.1 (2025) · Japan: 2.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Germany and Japan are practically level.
Germany: 1 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 14% larger than Japan’s.
Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 36% more per person than Japan.
Germany: Int$75,407 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in Japan (Gini 1.4 points higher).
Germany: 33.7 (2022) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.7% in Germany, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Germany: 3.7% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
Germany: 1.9% (2024) · Japan: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Japan’s.
Germany: 80% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 88% more on health per person than Japan.
Germany: $6,849 (2024) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 3.2 years longer than in Germany.
Germany: 80.8 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Germany is 72% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 71% more doctors per person than Japan.
Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Germany: 24.5% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Germany smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Germany: 22% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 0.75 points higher than in Japan.
Germany: 6.88 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 75% more alcohol than in Japan.
Germany: 10.9 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Germany has 18% more meat per person than Japan.
Germany: 70.7 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 864 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 319 more hours a year than in Germany.
Germany: 1,335 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 1.6 years longer than in Japan.
Germany: 14.3 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Germany welcomed 51% more tourists per resident than Japan (2019).
Germany: 0.45 (2024) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Germany are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Germany: 94% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Germany and Japan are practically level.
Germany: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 82% in Germany.
Germany: 82% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129.
Germany: 129 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 66% longer than Japan’s.
Germany: 33,401 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 2% more passengers per resident than those from Germany.
Germany: 0.96 (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 Germany.
Germany: 32.7% (2023) · Japan: 68.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 15% more CO₂ than someone in Germany.
Germany: 6.8 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Germany: 59.1% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 15% more fine dust than in Germany.
Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4 times as likely to be murdered in Germany as in Japan.
Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Germany are 22% deadlier than in Japan.
Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021) · Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 2.5 °C warmer than Germany.
Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.1 times as much rain as Germany.
Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Germany bigger than Japan?
Japan is larger. Japan is 6% bigger than Germany.
Which has more people, Germany or Japan?
Japan has 48% more people than Germany (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Germany or Japan?
People in Japan live 3.2 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 80.8 years in Germany and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Germany or Japan?
Men in Germany are 8.2 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
