Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Sweden is 40% bigger than Japan.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · Sweden: 528,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 9.2 times as long as Sweden’s.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Japan’s highest peak towers 1,676 m above Sweden’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · Sweden: 2,100 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Japan has 12 times as many people as Sweden.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 13 times as densely populated as Sweden.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Sweden are 8.4 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · Sweden: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Sweden are 8.2 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · Sweden: 166.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 9 years older than in Sweden.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Sweden have 0.3 more children on average than in Japan.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · Sweden: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 21% in Sweden.
Japan: 30% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · Sweden: 28.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and Sweden are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · Sweden: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Japan’s economy is 6.6 times the size of Sweden’s.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Sweden produces 31% more per person than Japan.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Japan than in Sweden (Gini 3 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · Sweden: 29.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.7% in Sweden, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Sweden spends 2.0% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · Sweden: 2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Japan’s.
Japan: 65% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Sweden spends 78% more on health per person than Japan.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)
How long do people live?
Sweden and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · Sweden: 84.1 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Sweden is 11% more likely to die before turning one than in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Sweden: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Sweden has 66% more doctors per person than Japan.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · Sweden: 4.4 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
19% of adults in Sweden are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
20% of adults in Sweden smoke, versus 18% in Japan.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Sweden rate their lives 1.13 points higher than in Japan.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Sweden drink 39% more alcohol than in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Sweden has 14% more meat per person than Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Sweden has 697 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Japan put in 222 more hours a year than in Sweden.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · Sweden: 1,432 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Sweden and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · Sweden: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Sweden welcomed 2.1 times as many tourists per resident as Japan (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Sweden are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Japan: 86% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and Sweden are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · Sweden: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 89% in Sweden.
Japan: 92% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Sweden 141.
Japan: 178 (2023) · Sweden: 141 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Japan’s railway network is 2.1 times as long as Sweden’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · Sweden: 9,714 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Sweden fly 89% more passengers per resident than those from Japan.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · Sweden: 1.85 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Sweden and Japan are practically level.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · Sweden: 68.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Japan emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in Sweden.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · Sweden: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
71% of Sweden’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 84% more fine dust than in Sweden.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · Sweden: 5.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5 times as likely to be murdered in Sweden as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · Sweden: 1.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Japan are 29% deadlier than in Sweden.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · Sweden: 2.1 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 8.4 °C warmer than Sweden.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 4.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.3 times as much rain as Sweden.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than Sweden?
Sweden is larger. Sweden is 40% bigger than Japan.
Which has more people, Japan or Sweden?
Japan has 12 times as many people as Sweden (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or Sweden?
Sweden and Japan are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 84.1 in Sweden.
Are people taller in Japan or Sweden?
Men in Sweden are 8.4 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
