Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan is 20% bigger than Poland.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · Poland: 313,930 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 68 times as long as Poland’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Poland: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 1,277 m above Poland’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Poland: 2,499 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 3.4 times as many people as Poland.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Poland: 36.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 2.8 times as densely populated as Poland.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Poland: 119 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Poland are 8.6 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Poland: 180.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Poland are 7.3 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Poland: 165.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 7.6 years older than in Poland.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Poland: 41.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Japan have 0.0 more children on average than in Poland.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Poland: 1.14 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 21% in Poland.
Japan: 30% (2025) · Poland: 20.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Poland has produced 7.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · Poland: 7.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and Poland are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · Poland: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 4.3 times the size of Poland’s.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Poland: $1.04 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 2% more per person than Poland.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Poland: Int$54,262 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in Poland (Gini 3.8 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Poland: 28.5 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 3.0% in Poland, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Poland: 3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Poland spends 4.2% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · Poland: 4.2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Poland’s.
Japan: 65% (2025) · Poland: 52% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 81% more on health per person than Poland.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Poland: $2,014 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 5.6 years longer than in Poland.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Poland: 78.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Poland is 2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Poland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Poland has 52% more doctors per person than Japan.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Poland: 4 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Poland are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Poland: 25.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Poland smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Poland: 21.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Poland rate their lives 0.64 points higher than in Japan.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Poland: 6.77 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Poland drink 84% more alcohol than in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Poland: 11.5 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Poland has 39% more meat per person than Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Poland: 83.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Poland has 1,060 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Poland: 3,730 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Poland put in 153 more hours a year than in Japan.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Poland: 1,807 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Poland went to school 0.52 years longer than in Japan.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Poland: 13.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Poland welcomed 81% more tourists per resident than Japan (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Poland: 0.54 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Poland are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Japan: 86% (2024) · Poland: 89% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Poland are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · Poland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 60% in Poland.
Japan: 92% (2025) · Poland: 60% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Poland 138.
Japan: 178 (2023) · Poland: 138 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 8% longer than Poland’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Poland: 18,620 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 4 times as many passengers per resident as those from Poland.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Poland: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 31% of Poland.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · Poland: 31.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 10% more CO₂ than someone in Poland.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Poland: 7.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
32% of Poland’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Poland: 31.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Poland carries 49% more fine dust than in Japan.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Poland: 15.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.5 times as likely to be murdered in Poland as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Poland: 0.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Poland are 2.4 times as deadly as in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · Poland: 6.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 3.1 °C warmer than Poland.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Poland: 9.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.4 times as much rain as Poland.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Poland: 763 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than Poland?
Japan is larger. Japan is 20% bigger than Poland.
Which has more people, Japan or Poland?
Japan has 3.4 times as many people as Poland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or Poland?
People in Japan live 5.6 years longer than in Poland. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 78.4 in Poland.
Are people taller in Japan or Poland?
Men in Poland are 8.6 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
