Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Singapore fits inside Japan 514 times
Japan: 377,975 km² (2024) · Singapore: 736 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 154 times as long as Singapore’s
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Singapore: 193 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 3,610 m above Singapore’s
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Singapore: 166 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 13% of Japan, versus 0.9% of Singapore
Japan: 12.6% (2024) · Singapore: 0.9% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 20 times as many people as Singapore
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Singapore: 6.11 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Singapore is 25 times as densely populated as Japan
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Singapore: 8,432 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Singapore are 1.4 cm taller than in Japan
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Singapore: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Singapore are 2.8 cm taller than in Japan
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Singapore: 161.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 14 years older than in Singapore
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Singapore: 35.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Japan have 0.2 more children on average than in Singapore
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Singapore: 0.97 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 14% in Singapore
Japan: 30% (2025) · Singapore: 14.2% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Japan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Singapore: 0 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Singapore none
Japan: 2.5 (2026) · Singapore: 0 (2026)
How many official languages?
Singapore has 4 official languages, Japan 1
Japan: 1 (2026) · Singapore: 4 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 7.3 times the size of Singapore’s
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Singapore: $604 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Singapore produces 2.9 times as much per person as Japan
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Singapore: Int$163,354 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Singapore: no data
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Japan: 1.2% (2020) · Singapore: no data
How many people are looking for work?
Singapore and Japan are practically level
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Singapore: 2.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Singapore spends 3.0% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%
Japan: 1.4% (2025) · Singapore: 3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Japan: no data · Singapore: 13.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Singapore’s
Japan: 65% (2025) · Singapore: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Singapore spends 8% more on health per person than Japan
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Singapore: $3,922 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 0.69 years longer than in Singapore
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Singapore: 83.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Singapore is 22% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Singapore: 2.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Singapore has 7% more doctors per person than Japan
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Singapore: 2.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Japan has 4.5 times as many hospital beds per person as Singapore
Japan: 12.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Singapore: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Japan is 2 times that in Singapore
Japan: 14.4 per 100k (2023) · Singapore: 7.3 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
17% of adults in Singapore are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Singapore: 16.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Japan smoke, versus 14% in Singapore
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Singapore: 13.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Singapore rate their lives 0.46 points higher than in Japan
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Singapore: 6.59 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Japan drink 2.9 times as much alcohol as in Singapore
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Singapore: 2.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Singapore: no data
How much food is there per day?
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Singapore: no data
How long do people work?
Workers in Singapore put in 629 more hours a year than in Japan
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Singapore: 2,283 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 0.69 years longer than in Singapore
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Singapore: 12 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Singapore welcomed 7.3 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019)
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Singapore: 2.16 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Japan has 26 more World Heritage sites than Singapore (27 against 1)
Japan: 27 (2026) · Singapore: 1 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Japan has won 642 Olympic medals, Singapore 6
Japan: 642 (2026 edition) · Singapore: 6 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Singapore are online, versus 86% in Japan
Japan: 86% (2024) · Singapore: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Singapore is 2.2 times as fast as in Japan
Japan: 322 Mbps (2026) · Singapore: 702 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Singapore are practically level
Japan: 100% (2024) · Singapore: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
100% of people in Singapore live in cities, versus 92% in Japan
Japan: 92% (2025) · Singapore: 100% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Singapore 171
Japan: 178 (2023) · Singapore: 171 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Singapore: no data
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Singapore fly 8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Japan
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Singapore: 7.77 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 22% of Singapore
Japan: 68.3% (2024) · Singapore: 21.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Singapore emits 19% more CO₂ than someone in Japan
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Singapore: 9.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
24% of Japan’s electricity is renewable, versus 5.5% in Singapore
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Singapore: 5.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Singapore carries 16% more fine dust than in Japan
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Singapore: 12.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.3 times as likely to be murdered in Japan as in Singapore
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Singapore: 0.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Japan are 65% deadlier than in Singapore
Japan: 3.8 per 100k (2023) · Singapore: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Singapore: no data
How much rain falls?
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Singapore: no data
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than Singapore?
Japan is larger. Singapore fits inside Japan 514 times.
Which has more people, Japan or Singapore?
Japan has 20 times as many people as Singapore (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or Singapore?
People in Japan live 0.69 years longer than in Singapore. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 83.3 in Singapore.
Are people taller in Japan or Singapore?
Men in Singapore are 1.4 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).