Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside Russia 45 times
Japan: 377,975 km² (2024) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 27% longer than Japan’s
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 1,866 m above Japan’s
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 13% of Russia, versus 13% of Japan
Japan: 12.6% (2024) · Russia: 13.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 16% more people than Japan
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 39 times as densely populated as Russia
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 4.6 cm taller than in Japan
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 6.0 cm taller than in Japan
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 9.5 years older than in Russia
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Russia have 0.3 more children on average than in Japan
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 18% in Russia
Japan: 30% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Japan hosts 4.2 times as many refugees per resident as Russia
Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Russia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Russia 2.0
Japan: 2.5 (2026) · Russia: 2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Japan and Russia are practically level
Japan: 1 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 73% larger than Russia’s
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Japan produces 12% more per person than Russia
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Russia than in Japan (Gini 0.7 points higher)
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
1.2% of people in Japan live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in Russia
Japan: 1.2% (2020) · Russia: 0.1% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Japan and Russia are practically level
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.5% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%
Japan: 1.4% (2025) · Russia: 7.5% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Japan: no data · Russia: 10.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.8× Russia’s
Japan: 65% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 3.6 times as much on health per person as Russia
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 11 years longer than in Russia
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 2.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 93% more doctors per person than Japan
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 85% more hospital beds per person than Russia
Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 6.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Russia is 38% higher than in Japan
Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 19.8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 18% in Japan
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Japan rate their lives 0.30 points higher than in Russia
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 66% more alcohol than in Japan
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 41% more meat per person than Japan
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 858 kcal more food per person per day than Japan
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 433 more hours a year than in Japan
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 0.27 years longer than in Russia
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Russia: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Russia has 6 more World Heritage sites than Japan (33 against 27)
Japan: 27 (2026) · Russia: 33 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Japan has won 642 Olympic medals, Russia 539
Japan: 642 (2026 edition) · Russia: 539 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Russia are online, versus 86% in Japan
Japan: 86% (2024) · Russia: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Japan: 322 Mbps (2026) · Russia: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Russia are practically level
Japan: 100% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 75% in Russia
Japan: 92% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Japan 178
Japan: 178 (2023) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 4.3 times as long as Japan’s
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Japan fly 42% more passengers per resident than those from Russia
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 51% of Russia
Japan: 68.3% (2024) · Russia: 50.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 58% more CO₂ than someone in Japan
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
24% of Japan’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Russia carries 23% more fine dust than in Japan
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 34 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in Japan
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 3.5 times as deadly as in Japan
Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 13.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 15.3 °C warmer than Russia
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 3.1 times as much rain as Russia
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. Japan fits inside Russia 45 times.
Which has more people, Japan or Russia?
Russia has 16% more people than Japan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or Russia?
People in Japan live 11 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in Japan or Russia?
Men in Russia are 4.6 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
