Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside Japan 4.1 times.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 17 times as long as Portugal’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 1,425 m above Portugal’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 11 times as many people as Portugal.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Portugal: 10.8 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 2.9 times as densely populated as Portugal.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Portugal: 118 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Portugal are 2.3 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Portugal are 2.7 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 2.8 years older than in Portugal.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Portugal: 46.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Portugal have 0.3 more children on average than in Japan.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 25% in Portugal.
Japan: 30% (2025) · Portugal: 24.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Portugal 1.9.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · Portugal: 1.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and Portugal are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · Portugal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 13 times the size of Portugal’s.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Portugal: $347 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 4% more per person than Portugal.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Portugal than in Japan (Gini 1.6 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Portugal: 33.9 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.2% in Portugal, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Portugal: 6.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Portugal and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · Portugal: 1.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Portugal’s.
Japan: 65% (2025) · Portugal: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 22% more on health per person than Portugal.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Portugal: $2,971 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 1.7 years longer than in Portugal.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Portugal: 82.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Portugal is 50% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 2.2 times as many doctors per person as Japan.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Portugal: 23% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Portugal: 28.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Japan rate their lives 0.10 points higher than in Portugal.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Portugal: 6.03 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 2.2 times as much alcohol as in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 66% more meat per person than Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 883 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 81 more hours a year than in Japan.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 3 years longer than in Portugal.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Portugal: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 9.1 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Portugal: 2.71 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
88% of people in Portugal are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Japan: 86% (2024) · Portugal: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Portugal are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · Portugal: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
Japan: 92% (2025) · Portugal: 61% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
Japan: 178 (2023) · Portugal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 7.9 times as long as Portugal’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Portugal: 2,527 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Portugal fly 74% more passengers per resident than those from Japan.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Portugal: 1.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 36% of Portugal.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · Portugal: 36.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 2.3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Portugal.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Portugal: 3.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Portugal: 81% (2025)
How clean is the air?
Japan and Portugal are nearly identical here.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.1 times as likely to be murdered in Portugal as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 2.7 times as deadly as in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 3.1 °C warmer than Japan.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.3 times as much rain as Portugal.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than Portugal?
Japan is larger. Portugal fits inside Japan 4.1 times.
Which has more people, Japan or Portugal?
Japan has 11 times as many people as Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or Portugal?
People in Japan live 1.7 years longer than in Portugal. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 82.4 in Portugal.
Are people taller in Japan or Portugal?
Men in Portugal are 2.3 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
