Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan is 25% bigger than Italy
Italy: 302,070 km² (2024) · Japan: 377,975 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 3.9 times as long as Italy’s
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 972 m above Japan’s
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Italy, versus 13% of Japan
Italy: 43.6% (2024) · Japan: 12.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 2.1 times as many people as Italy
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · Japan: 123 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 70% more densely populated than Italy
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · Japan: 338 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Italy are 2.4 cm taller than in Japan
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · Japan: 172.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Italy are 3.3 cm taller than in Japan
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · Japan: 158.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 1.5 years older than in Italy
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · Japan: 49 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Italy and Japan are practically level
Italy: 1.18 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 25% in Italy
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · Japan: 30% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Italy hosts 9.5 times as many refugees per resident as Japan
Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Italy has produced 3.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.5
Italy: 3.4 (2026) · Japan: 2.5 (2026)
How many official languages?
Italy and Japan are practically level
Italy: 1 (2026) · Japan: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 74% larger than Italy’s
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Italy produces 13% more per person than Japan
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · Japan: Int$55,422 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in Japan (Gini 2 points higher)
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · Japan: 32.3 (2020)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Japan and Italy are practically level
Italy: 0.9% (2023) · Japan: 1.2% (2020)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 2.5% in Japan
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · Japan: 2.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Italy and Japan are practically level
Italy: 1.9% (2025) · Japan: 1.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy: 25.6% (2024) · Japan: no data
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Japan’s
Italy: 69% (2025) · Japan: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 7% more on health per person than Italy
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · Japan: $3,638 (2023)
How long do people live?
Japan and Italy are practically level
Italy: 84 years (2024) · Japan: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Italy is 28% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 58% more doctors per person than Japan
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 4.1 times as many hospital beds per person as Italy
Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Japan is 2.5 times that in Italy
Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
18% of adults in Italy are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · Japan: 5.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 18% in Japan
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · Japan: 17.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Italy rate their lives 0.44 points higher than in Japan
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · Japan: 6.13 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Italy drink 35% more alcohol than in Japan
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · Japan: 6.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Italy has 19% more meat per person than Japan
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · Japan: 59.9 kg (2022)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 1,083 kcal more food per person per day than Japan
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022)
How long do people work?
Workers in Italy put in 48 more hours a year than in Japan
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · Japan: 1,654 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 1.9 years longer than in Italy
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · Japan: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 3.3 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019)
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · Japan: 0.3 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 35 more World Heritage sites than Japan (62 against 27)
Italy: 62 (2026) · Japan: 27 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Italy has won 829 Olympic medals, Japan 642
Italy: 829 (2026 edition) · Japan: 642 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Italy are online, versus 86% in Japan
Italy: 89% (2024) · Japan: 86% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Japan is 18% faster than in Italy
Italy: 274 Mbps (2026) · Japan: 322 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and Japan are practically level
Italy: 100% (2024) · Japan: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Italy: 70% (2025) · Japan: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Italy 133
Italy: 133 (2024) · Japan: 178 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 16% longer than Italy’s
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · Japan: 20,087 km (2011)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 2.8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy
Italy: 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 32% of Italy
Italy: 31.8% (2024) · Japan: 68.3% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 53% more CO₂ than someone in Italy
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · Japan: 7.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · Japan: 23.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 45% more fine dust than in Japan
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.5 times as likely to be murdered in Italy as in Japan
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Italy are 2.2 times as deadly as in Japan
Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023) · Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy is on average 1.1 °C warmer than Japan
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 77% more rain than Italy
Italy: 1,030 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 Italy bigger than Japan?
Japan is larger. Japan is 25% bigger than Italy.
Which has more people, Italy or Japan?
Japan has 2.1 times as many people as Italy (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or Japan?
Japan and Italy are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 84.0 in Japan.
Are people taller in Italy or Japan?
Men in Italy are 2.4 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
