Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ireland fits inside Japan 5.4 times.
Ireland: 70,280 km² (2023) · Japan: 377,969 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 21 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,448 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 2,735 m above Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,041 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 22 times as many people as Ireland.
Ireland: 5.48 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 4.3 times as densely populated as Ireland.
Ireland: 80 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Ireland are 7.0 cm taller than in Japan.
Ireland: 179 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Ireland are 6.0 cm taller than in Japan.
Ireland: 164.5 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 11 years older than in Ireland.
Ireland: 38.4 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ireland have 0.3 more children on average than in Japan.
Ireland: 1.47 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 16% in Ireland.
Ireland: 16.2% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Ireland has produced 9.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Ireland: 9.1 (2025) · Japan: 2.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Ireland has 2 official languages, Japan 1.
Ireland: 2 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 6.1 times the size of Ireland’s.
Ireland: $722 billion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Ireland produces 2.8 times as much per person as Japan.
Ireland: Int$155,089 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in Ireland (Gini 3.3 points higher).
Ireland: 29 (2023) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in Ireland, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Ireland: 4.6% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Japan spends 1.4% of its GDP on the military, Ireland 0.2%.
Ireland: 0.2% (2024) · Japan: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Ireland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Japan’s.
Ireland: 85% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Ireland spends 2 times as much on health per person as Japan.
Ireland: $7,395 (2024) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 1 year longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 83 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ireland is 89% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Ireland: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Ireland has 46% more doctors per person than Japan.
Ireland: 3.9 per 1,000 (2023) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in Ireland are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Ireland: 30.6% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Ireland smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Ireland: 18.2% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Ireland rate their lives 0.80 points higher than in Japan.
Ireland: 6.93 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Ireland drink 64% more alcohol than in Japan.
Ireland: 10.3 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Ireland has 64% more meat per person than Japan.
Ireland: 98.4 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Ireland has 1,251 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Ireland: 3,921 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Ireland and Japan are practically level.
Ireland: 1,654 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 0.96 year longer than in Ireland.
Ireland: 11.7 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Ireland welcomed 7.4 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019).
Ireland: 2.2 (2019) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in Ireland are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Ireland: 97% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Ireland and Japan are practically level.
Ireland: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 65% in Ireland.
Ireland: 65% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ireland 113.
Ireland: 113 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 12 times as long as Ireland’s.
Ireland: 1,650 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Ireland fly 36 times as many passengers per resident as those from Japan.
Ireland: 35.11 (2023) · Japan: 0.98 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 12% of Ireland.
Ireland: 11.5% (2023) · Japan: 68.4% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 23% more CO₂ than someone in Ireland.
Ireland: 6.3 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
48% of Ireland’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Ireland: 48.1% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 42% more fine dust than in Ireland.
Ireland: 7.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.9 times as likely to be murdered in Ireland as in Japan.
Ireland: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Ireland are 4% deadlier than in Japan.
Ireland: 2.8 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 Ireland.
Ireland: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 60% more rain than Ireland.
Ireland: 1,139 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Ireland bigger than Japan?
Japan is larger. Ireland fits inside Japan 5.4 times.
Which has more people, Ireland or Japan?
Japan has 22 times as many people as Ireland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Ireland or Japan?
People in Japan live 1 year longer than in Ireland. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in Ireland and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Ireland or Japan?
Men in Ireland are 7.0 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
