Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
North Korea fits inside Japan 3.1 times.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · North Korea: 120,540 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 12 times as long as North Korea’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · North Korea: 2,495 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 1,032 m above North Korea’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · North Korea: 2,744 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 4.6 times as many people as North Korea.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · North Korea: 26.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 53% more densely populated than North Korea.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · North Korea: 221 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in North Korea are 2.6 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · North Korea: 174.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in North Korea are 2.7 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · North Korea: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 13 years older than in North Korea.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · North Korea: 36 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in North Korea have 0.6 more children on average than in Japan.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · North Korea: 1.78 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 13% in North Korea.
Japan: 30% (2025) · North Korea: 12.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, North Korea 0.0.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · North Korea: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and North Korea are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · North Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · North Korea: no data
How much is produced per person?
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · North Korea: no data
How evenly is income shared?
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · North Korea: no data
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.5% in North Korea, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · North Korea: 3.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · North Korea: no data
How expensive is it?
Japan: 65% (2025) · North Korea: no data
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · North Korea: no data
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 10 years longer than in North Korea.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · North Korea: 73.7 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in North Korea is 7.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · North Korea: 13.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
North Korea has 37% more doctors per person than Japan.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · North Korea: 3.6 per 1,000 (2017)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in North Korea are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · North Korea: 12.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Japan smoke, versus 16% in North Korea.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · North Korea: 15.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · North Korea: no data
How much do people drink?
Adults in Japan drink 2.4 times as much alcohol as in North Korea.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · North Korea: 2.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Japan has 4.3 times as much meat per person as North Korea.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · North Korea: 13.8 kg (2018)
How much food is there per day?
Japan has 689 kcal more food per person per day than North Korea.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · North Korea: 1,981 kcal (2018)
How long do people work?
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · North Korea: no data
How long do people go to school?
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · North Korea: no data
How many tourists visit?
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · North Korea: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
Japan: 86% (2024) · North Korea: no data
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Japan have electricity, versus 61% in North Korea.
Japan: 100% (2024) · North Korea: 61.4% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 64% in North Korea.
Japan: 92% (2025) · North Korea: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, North Korea 24.
Japan: 178 (2023) · North Korea: 24 (2022)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 2.7 times as long as North Korea’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · North Korea: 7,435 km (2014)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 7,022 times as many passengers per resident as those from North Korea.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · North Korea: 0 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 50% of North Korea.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · North Korea: 49.6% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 3.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in North Korea.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · North Korea: 2.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
63% of North Korea’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · North Korea: 63.4% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in North Korea carries 2 times as much fine dust as in Japan.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · North Korea: 21.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · North Korea: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · North Korea: no data
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 4.8 °C warmer than North Korea.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · North Korea: 7.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 56% more rain than North Korea.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · North Korea: 1,172 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than North Korea?
Japan is larger. North Korea fits inside Japan 3.1 times.
Which has more people, Japan or North Korea?
Japan has 4.6 times as many people as North Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or North Korea?
People in Japan live 10 years longer than in North Korea. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 73.7 in North Korea.
Are people taller in Japan or North Korea?
Men in North Korea are 2.6 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
