Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside Japan 3.8 times.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 12 times as long as South Korea’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 1,826 m above South Korea’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 2.4 times as many people as South Korea.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 56% more densely populated than Japan.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in South Korea are 3.5 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in South Korea are 4.7 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 4.5 years older than in South Korea.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Japan have 0.4 more children on average than in South Korea.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 20% in South Korea.
Japan: 30% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Korea 0.6.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and South Korea are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 2.4 times the size of South Korea’s.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 14% more per person than Japan.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Korea than in Japan (Gini 0.6 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
South Korea and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× South Korea’s.
Japan: 65% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 16% more on health per person than South Korea.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
Japan and South Korea are practically level.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Korea is 28% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Japan has 1% more doctors per person than South Korea.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
7.5% of adults in South Korea are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in South Korea smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Japan rate their lives 0.09 points higher than in South Korea.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Korea drink 32% more alcohol than in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 40% more meat per person than Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
South Korea has 760 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Korea put in 256 more hours a year than in Japan.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
South Korea and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Korea welcomed 6% more tourists per resident than Japan (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Japan: 86% (2024) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and South Korea are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 81% in South Korea.
Japan: 92% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, South Korea 173.
Japan: 178 (2023) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 4.7 times as long as South Korea’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 51% more passengers per resident than those from Japan.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 64% of South Korea.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 45% more CO₂ than someone in Japan.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
24% of Japan’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Korea carries 2 times as much fine dust as in Japan.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.1 times as likely to be murdered in South Korea as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Korea are 2.6 times as deadly as in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 0.4 °C warmer than Japan.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 44% more rain than South Korea.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than South Korea?
Japan is larger. South Korea fits inside Japan 3.8 times.
Which has more people, Japan or South Korea?
Japan has 2.4 times as many people as South Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or South Korea?
Japan and South Korea are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in Japan or South Korea?
Men in South Korea are 3.5 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
