Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside Japan 9.1 times.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 66 times as long as the Netherlands’.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 2,914 m above the Netherlands’.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 6.8 times as many people as the Netherlands.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 59% more densely populated than Japan.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 11.7 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 11.9 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 7.6 years older than in the Netherlands.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Netherlands have 0.3 more children on average than in Japan.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 21% in the Netherlands.
Japan: 30% (2025) · Netherlands: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and the Netherlands are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · Netherlands: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 3.3 times the size of the Netherlands’.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Netherlands produces 58% more per person than Japan.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in the Netherlands (Gini 6.6 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Netherlands: 25.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.9% in the Netherlands, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Netherlands: 3.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The Netherlands spends 1.9% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · Netherlands: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The Netherlands’ price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Japan’s.
Japan: 65% (2025) · Netherlands: 84% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Netherlands spends 88% more on health per person than Japan.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Netherlands: $6,845 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 2.1 years longer than in the Netherlands.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Netherlands: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Netherlands is 89% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Netherlands has 46% more doctors per person than Japan.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
17% of adults in the Netherlands are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Netherlands: 16.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in the Netherlands smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Netherlands: 20.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 1.09 points higher than in Japan.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Netherlands: 7.22 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Netherlands drink 37% more alcohol than in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The Netherlands has 19% more meat per person than Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The Netherlands has 797 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 215 more hours a year than in the Netherlands.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Japan and the Netherlands are practically level.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Netherlands welcomed 3.1 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Netherlands: 0.91 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in the Netherlands are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Japan: 86% (2024) · Netherlands: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and the Netherlands are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · Netherlands: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 92% in Japan.
Japan: 92% (2025) · Netherlands: 96% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Netherlands 129.
Japan: 178 (2023) · Netherlands: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 6.6 times as long as the Netherlands’.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Netherlands fly 2.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from Japan.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Netherlands: 2.29 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 11% of the Netherlands.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · Netherlands: 11.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 23% more CO₂ than someone in the Netherlands.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
51% of the Netherlands’ electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Netherlands: 51.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 9% more fine dust than in the Netherlands.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3 times as likely to be murdered in the Netherlands as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the Netherlands are 26% deadlier than in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 1.6 °C warmer than the Netherlands.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.1 times as much rain as the Netherlands.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 887 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than the Netherlands?
Japan is larger. The Netherlands fits inside Japan 9.1 times.
Which has more people, Japan or the Netherlands?
Japan has 6.8 times as many people as the Netherlands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or the Netherlands?
People in Japan live 2.1 years longer than in the Netherlands. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 82.0 in the Netherlands.
Are people taller in Japan or the Netherlands?
Men in the Netherlands are 11.7 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
