Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan is 26% bigger than the Philippines.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · Philippines: 300,000 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Philippines’ coastline is 22% longer than Japan’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Philippines: 36,289 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 822 m above the Philippines’.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Philippines: 2,954 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 6% more people than the Philippines.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Philippines: 117 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Philippines is 16% more densely populated than Japan.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Philippines: 392 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Japan are 6.8 cm taller than in the Philippines.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Philippines: 165.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Japan are 4.4 cm taller than in the Philippines.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Philippines: 154.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 24 years older than in the Philippines.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Philippines: 25.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Philippines have 0.7 more children on average than in Japan.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Philippines: 1.89 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 5.7% in the Philippines.
Japan: 30% (2025) · Philippines: 5.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the Philippines 0.1.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · Philippines: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
The Philippines has 2 official languages, Japan 1.
Japan: 1 (2026) · Philippines: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 9.1 times the size of the Philippines’.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Philippines: $487 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 4.4 times as much per person as the Philippines.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Philippines: Int$12,577 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the Philippines than in Japan (Gini 7 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Philippines: 39.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Japan and the Philippines are practically level.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Philippines: 2.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Japan and the Philippines are practically level.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · Philippines: 1.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 2× the Philippines’.
Japan: 65% (2025) · Philippines: 33% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 19 times as much on health per person as the Philippines.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Philippines: $194 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 14 years longer than in the Philippines.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Philippines: 69.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Philippines is 12 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Philippines: 21.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Japan has 3.3 times as many doctors per person as the Philippines.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Philippines: 0.8 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
9.7% of adults in the Philippines are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Philippines: 9.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
20% of adults in the Philippines smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Philippines: 19.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Philippines rate their lives 0.08 points higher than in Japan.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Philippines: 6.21 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Japan drink 3% more alcohol than in the Philippines.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Philippines: 6.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Japan has 78% more meat per person than the Philippines.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Philippines: 33.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The Philippines has 313 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Philippines: 2,983 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the Philippines put in 442 more hours a year than in Japan.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Philippines: 2,096 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 2.7 years longer than in the Philippines.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Philippines: 10 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Japan welcomed 13 times as many tourists per resident as the Philippines (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Philippines: 0.02 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
86% of people in Japan are online, versus 67% in the Philippines.
Japan: 86% (2024) · Philippines: 67% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in Japan have electricity, versus 95% in the Philippines.
Japan: 100% (2024) · Philippines: 94.8% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 56% in the Philippines.
Japan: 92% (2025) · Philippines: 56% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Philippines 115.
Japan: 178 (2023) · Philippines: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 39 times as long as the Philippines’.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Philippines: 509 km (2016)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 2.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from the Philippines.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Philippines: 0.36 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 24% of the Philippines.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · Philippines: 24.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 5.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in the Philippines.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Philippines: 1.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
Japan and the Philippines are practically level.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Philippines: 23.3% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the Philippines carries 2.2 times as much fine dust as in Japan.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Philippines: 23.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 19 times as likely to be murdered in the Philippines as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Philippines: 4.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the Philippines are 3.6 times as deadly as in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · Philippines: 9.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Philippines is on average 13.6 °C warmer than Japan.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Philippines: 26.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Philippines gets 65% more rain than Japan.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Philippines: 3,001 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than the Philippines?
Japan is larger. Japan is 26% bigger than the Philippines.
Which has more people, Japan or the Philippines?
Japan has 6% more people than the Philippines (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or the Philippines?
People in Japan live 14 years longer than in the Philippines. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 69.9 in the Philippines.
Are people taller in Japan or the Philippines?
Men in Japan are 6.8 cm taller than in the Philippines (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).