Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside Indonesia 5.1 times.
Indonesia: 1,916,910 km² (2023) · Japan: 377,969 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Indonesia’s coastline is 84% longer than Japan’s.
Indonesia: 54,716 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Indonesia’s highest peak towers 1,108 m above Japan’s.
Indonesia: 4,884 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Indonesia has 2.3 times as many people as Japan.
Indonesia: 286 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 2.2 times as densely populated as Indonesia.
Indonesia: 151 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Japan are 5.8 cm taller than in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 166.3 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Japan are 4.1 cm taller than in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 154.4 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 19 years older than in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 29.8 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Indonesia have 1.0 more children on average than in Japan.
Indonesia: 2.12 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 7.5% in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 7.5% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Indonesia 0.0.
Indonesia: 0 (2025) · Japan: 2.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Indonesia and Japan are practically level.
Indonesia: 1 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 3.1 times the size of Indonesia’s.
Indonesia: $1.45 trillion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 3.1 times as much per person as Indonesia.
Indonesia: Int$17,660 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Indonesia than in Japan (Gini 2.1 points higher).
Indonesia: 34.4 (2025) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.2% in Indonesia, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Indonesia: 3.2% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Japan spends 1.4% of its GDP on the military, Indonesia 0.8%.
Indonesia: 0.8% (2024) · Japan: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 2.3× Indonesia’s.
Indonesia: 29% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 28 times as much on health per person as Indonesia.
Indonesia: $132 (2023) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 13 years longer than in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 71.3 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Indonesia is 8.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
Indonesia: 15.2 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Japan has 5.1 times as many doctors per person as Indonesia.
Indonesia: 0.5 per 1,000 (2023) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in Indonesia are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Indonesia: 12% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
31% of adults in Indonesia smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Indonesia: 31% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Japan rate their lives 0.51 points higher than in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 5.62 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Japan drink 62 times as much alcohol as in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 0.1 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Japan has 3 times as much meat per person as Indonesia.
Indonesia: 20 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Indonesia has 230 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Indonesia: 2,900 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Indonesia put in 305 more hours a year than in Japan.
Indonesia: 1,958 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 4 years longer than in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 8.7 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Japan welcomed 6.2 times as many tourists per resident as Indonesia (2019).
Indonesia: 0.05 (2024) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
86% of people in Japan are online, versus 73% in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 73% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Indonesia are practically level.
Indonesia: 99.9% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 59% in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 59% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Indonesia 123.
Indonesia: 123 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 3.7 times as long as Indonesia’s.
Indonesia: 5,483 km (2019) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 2.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from Indonesia.
Indonesia: 0.34 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 48% of Indonesia.
Indonesia: 47.7% (2023) · Japan: 68.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 2.7 times as much CO₂ as someone in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 2.9 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
24% of Japan’s electricity is renewable, versus 18% in Indonesia.
Indonesia: 18.1% (2024) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Indonesia carries 76% more fine dust than in Japan.
Indonesia: 18.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 33% more likely to be murdered in Indonesia than in Japan.
Indonesia: 0.3 per 100k (2022) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Indonesia are 4.2 times as deadly as in Japan.
Indonesia: 11.3 per 100k (2021) · Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Indonesia is on average 12.8 °C warmer than Japan.
Indonesia: 25.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Indonesia gets 88% more rain than Japan.
Indonesia: 3,437 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Indonesia bigger than Japan?
Indonesia is larger. Japan fits inside Indonesia 5.1 times.
Which has more people, Indonesia or Japan?
Indonesia has 2.3 times as many people as Japan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Indonesia or Japan?
People in Japan live 13 years longer than in Indonesia. Life expectancy at birth is 71.3 years in Indonesia and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Indonesia or Japan?
Men in Japan are 5.8 cm taller than in Indonesia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
