Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Spain is 34% bigger than Japan.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · Spain: 505,976 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 6 times as long as Spain’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 58 m above Spain’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 2.5 times as many people as Spain.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 3.4 times as densely populated as Spain.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Spain are 4.1 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Spain: 176.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Spain are 3.5 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Spain: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 4.1 years older than in Spain.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Japan have 0.0 more children on average than in Spain.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 22% in Spain.
Japan: 30% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Japan has produced 2.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Spain 1.4.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · Spain: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and Spain are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · Spain: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 2.3 times the size of Spain’s.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Spain produces 8% more per person than Japan.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Spain than in Japan (Gini 1.1 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Spain: 33.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Spain, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Spain and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · Spain: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Japan and Spain are nearly identical here.
Japan: 65% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Japan spends 17% more on health per person than Spain.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)
How long do people live?
Japan and Spain are practically level.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Spain: 83.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Spain is 44% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Spain has 62% more doctors per person than Japan.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
19% of adults in Spain are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
28% of adults in Spain smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Spain rate their lives 0.41 points higher than in Japan.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Spain drink 93% more alcohol than in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Spain has 68% more meat per person than Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Spain has 707 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 16 more hours a year than in Spain.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Spain: 1,638 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Japan went to school 1.9 years longer than in Spain.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Spain: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Spain welcomed 6.5 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Spain are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Japan: 86% (2024) · Spain: 96% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Spain are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · Spain: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 81% in Spain.
Japan: 92% (2025) · Spain: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 130.
Japan: 178 (2023) · Spain: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 26% longer than Spain’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Spain fly 2 times as many passengers per resident as those from Japan.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Spain: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 37% of Spain.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · Spain: 37.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 69% more CO₂ than someone in Spain.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Spain: 4.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Spain’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 5% more fine dust than in Spain.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3 times as likely to be murdered in Spain as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Spain are 30% deadlier than in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · Spain: 3.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Spain is on average 2.1 °C warmer than Japan.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.7 times as much rain as Spain.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than Spain?
Spain is larger. Spain is 34% bigger than Japan.
Which has more people, Japan or Spain?
Japan has 2.5 times as many people as Spain (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or Spain?
Japan and Spain are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 83.9 in Spain.
Are people taller in Japan or Spain?
Men in Spain are 4.1 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
