Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Iraq is 15% bigger than Japan
Iraq: 435,050 km² (2024) · Japan: 377,975 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 513 times as long as Iraq’s
Iraq: 58 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 165 m above Iraq’s
Iraq: 3,611 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 22% of Iraq, versus 13% of Japan
Iraq: 21.6% (2024) · Japan: 12.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 2.6 times as many people as Iraq
Iraq: 47 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 3.1 times as densely populated as Iraq
Iraq: 108 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Iraq are 1.7 cm taller than in Japan
Iraq: 173.8 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Iraq and Japan are practically level
Iraq: 158.8 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 29 years older than in Iraq
Iraq: 20.3 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Iraq have 2.1 more children on average than in Japan
Iraq: 3.22 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 3.4% in Iraq
Iraq: 3.4% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Iraq hosts 20 times as many refugees per resident as Japan
Iraq: 6.9 per 1,000 (2025) · Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Iraq 0.2
Iraq: 0.2 (2026) · Japan: 2.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
Iraq has 3 official languages, Japan 1
Iraq: 3 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 17 times the size of Iraq’s
Iraq: $254 billion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 3.9 times as much per person as Iraq
Iraq: Int$14,267 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in Iraq (Gini 2.5 points higher)
Iraq: 29.8 (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 0.5% in Iraq
Iraq: 0.5% (2023) · Japan: 1.2% (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 15% in Iraq, versus 2.5% in Japan
Iraq: 15.5% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Iraq spends 2.4% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%
Iraq: 2.4% (2025) · Japan: 1.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Iraq: 1.3% (2019) · Japan: no data
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.7× Iraq’s
Iraq: 38% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 11 times as much on health per person as Iraq
Iraq: $333 (2023) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 12 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 72.4 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Iraq is 11 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan
Iraq: 20.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Japan has 2.6 times as many doctors per person as Iraq
Iraq: 1 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 12 times as many hospital beds per person as Iraq
Iraq: 1.1 per 1,000 (2018) · Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Japan is 2.8 times that in Iraq
Iraq: 5.1 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
37% of adults in Iraq are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
Iraq: 36.8% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
20% of adults in Iraq smoke, versus 18% in Japan
Iraq: 20.1% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Japan rate their lives 0.92 points higher than in Iraq
Iraq: 5.21 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Japan drink 10 times as much alcohol as in Iraq
Iraq: 0.6 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Japan has 2.8 times as much meat per person as Iraq
Iraq: 21.1 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Japan has 300 kcal more food per person per day than Iraq
Iraq: 2,371 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 71 more hours a year than in Iraq
Iraq: 1,583 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 5.9 years longer than in Iraq
Iraq: 6.8 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Iraq: no data · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Japan has 21 more World Heritage sites than Iraq (27 against 6)
Iraq: 6 (2026) · Japan: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Japan has won 642 Olympic medals, Iraq 1
Iraq: 1 (2026 edition) · Japan: 642 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
86% of people in Japan are online, versus 81% in Iraq
Iraq: 81% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Japan is 5.2 times as fast as in Iraq
Iraq: 62 Mbps (2026) · Japan: 322 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Iraq and Japan are practically level
Iraq: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 70% in Iraq
Iraq: 70% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Iraq 100
Iraq: 100 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 8.5 times as long as Iraq’s
Iraq: 2,370 km (2014) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 12 times as many passengers per resident as those from Iraq
Iraq: 0.08 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 1.6% of Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Japan: 68.3% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 53% more CO₂ than someone in Iraq
Iraq: 5.1 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
24% of Japan’s electricity is renewable, versus 1.6% in Iraq
Iraq: 1.6% (2024) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Iraq carries 4.6 times as much fine dust as in Japan
Iraq: 48.8 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Iraq: no data · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Iraq are 8.3 times as deadly as in Japan
Iraq: 31.5 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Iraq is on average 11.1 °C warmer than Japan
Iraq: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 8.5 times as much rain as Iraq
Iraq: 214 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 Iraq bigger than Japan?
Iraq is larger. Iraq is 15% bigger than Japan.
Which has more people, Iraq or Japan?
Japan has 2.6 times as many people as Iraq (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Iraq or Japan?
People in Japan live 12 years longer than in Iraq. Life expectancy at birth is 72.4 years in Iraq and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Iraq or Japan?
Men in Iraq are 1.7 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
