Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside Mexico 5.2 times.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · Mexico: 1,957,190 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 3.2 times as long as Mexico’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Mexico: 9,330 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Mexico’s highest peak towers 1,860 m above Japan’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Mexico: 5,636 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Mexico has 7% more people than Japan.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Mexico: 132 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 5 times as densely populated as Mexico.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Mexico: 68 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Japan are 1.8 cm taller than in Mexico.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Mexico: 170.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Japan and Mexico are practically level.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Mexico: 157.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 20 years older than in Mexico.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Mexico: 28.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Mexico have 0.7 more children on average than in Japan.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Mexico: 1.89 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 8.5% in Mexico.
Japan: 30% (2025) · Mexico: 8.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Mexico 0.2.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · Mexico: 0.2 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and Mexico are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · Mexico: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 2.4 times the size of Mexico’s.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Mexico: $1.83 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 2.1 times as much per person as Mexico.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Mexico: Int$25,869 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Mexico than in Japan (Gini 10.3 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Mexico: 42.6 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Mexico and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Mexico: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Japan and Mexico are practically level.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · Mexico: 0.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Mexico’s.
Japan: 65% (2025) · Mexico: 54% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 4.8 times as much on health per person as Mexico.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Mexico: $761 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 8.8 years longer than in Mexico.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Mexico: 75.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Mexico is 6.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Mexico: 12.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Japan has 2% more doctors per person than Mexico.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Mexico: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
37% of adults in Mexico are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Mexico: 37.4% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Japan smoke, versus 16% in Mexico.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Mexico: 15.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Mexico rate their lives 0.84 points higher than in Japan.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Mexico: 6.97 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Mexico drink 7% more alcohol than in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Mexico: 6.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Mexico has 31% more meat per person than Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Mexico: 78.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Mexico has 634 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Mexico: 3,305 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 25 more hours a year than in Mexico.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Mexico: 1,629 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 3.3 years longer than in Mexico.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Mexico: 9.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Mexico welcomed 16% more tourists per resident than Japan (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Mexico: 0.34 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
86% of people in Japan are online, versus 83% in Mexico.
Japan: 86% (2024) · Mexico: 83% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Mexico are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · Mexico: 99.8% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 80% in Mexico.
Japan: 92% (2025) · Mexico: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Mexico 116.
Japan: 178 (2023) · Mexico: 116 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Mexico’s railway network is 16% longer than Japan’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Mexico: 23,389 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 63% more passengers per resident than those from Mexico.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Mexico: 0.6 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 34% of Mexico.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · Mexico: 33.6% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Mexico.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Mexico: 3.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
Japan and Mexico are practically level.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Mexico: 23.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Mexico carries 74% more fine dust than in Japan.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Mexico: 18.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 108 times as likely to be murdered in Mexico as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Mexico: 24.9 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Mexico are 4.4 times as deadly as in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · Mexico: 12 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Mexico is on average 8.6 °C warmer than Japan.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Mexico: 21.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.3 times as much rain as Mexico.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Mexico: 788 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than Mexico?
Mexico is larger. Japan fits inside Mexico 5.2 times.
Which has more people, Japan or Mexico?
Mexico has 7% more people than Japan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or Mexico?
People in Japan live 8.8 years longer than in Mexico. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 75.3 in Mexico.
Are people taller in Japan or Mexico?
Men in Japan are 1.8 cm taller than in Mexico (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
