Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Japan fits inside the United States 26 times.
Japan: 377,969 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Japan’s coastline is 49% longer than the United States’.
Japan: 29,751 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 2,414 m above Japan’s.
Japan: 3,776 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 2.8 times as many people as Japan.
Japan: 123 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Japan is 9.1 times as densely populated as the United States.
Japan: 338 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the United States are 4.9 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 172.1 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the United States are 4.8 cm taller than in Japan.
Japan: 158.5 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Japan is 11 years older than in the United States.
Japan: 49 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.5 more children on average than in Japan.
Japan: 1.15 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
30% of people in Japan are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
Japan: 30% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United States has produced 8.7 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Japan 2.4.
Japan: 2.4 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Japan and the United States are practically level.
Japan: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 6.9 times the size of Japan’s.
Japan: $4.44 trillion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 62% more per person than Japan.
Japan: Int$55,422 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Japan (Gini 9.5 points higher).
Japan: 32.3 (2020) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.2% in the United States, versus 2.5% in Japan.
Japan: 2.5% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, Japan 1.4%.
Japan: 1.4% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Japan’s.
Japan: 65% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 3.7 times as much on health per person as Japan.
Japan: $3,638 (2023) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Japan live 5.1 years longer than in the United States.
Japan: 84 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 3.1 times as likely to die before turning one as in Japan.
Japan: 1.8 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United States has 39% more doctors per person than Japan.
Japan: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 5.2% in Japan.
Japan: 5.2% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
18% of adults in Japan smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
Japan: 17.5% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United States rate their lives 0.69 points higher than in Japan.
Japan: 6.13 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United States drink 53% more alcohol than in Japan.
Japan: 6.3 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 2 times as much meat per person as Japan.
Japan: 59.9 kg (2022) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 1,277 kcal more food per person per day than Japan.
Japan: 2,670 kcal (2022) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 135 more hours a year than in Japan.
Japan: 1,654 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 1.2 years longer than in Japan.
Japan: 12.7 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Japan welcomed 40% more tourists per resident than the United States (2019).
Japan: 0.3 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United States are online, versus 86% in Japan.
Japan: 86% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Japan and the United States are practically level.
Japan: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Japan live in cities, versus 80% in the United States.
Japan: 92% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Japan has 178 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
Japan: 178 (2023) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 7.4 times as long as Japan’s.
Japan: 20,087 km (2011) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 2.8 times as many passengers per resident as those from Japan.
Japan: 0.98 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 68% of Japan, but only 34% of the United States.
Japan: 68.4% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 83% more CO₂ than someone in Japan.
Japan: 7.8 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of the United States’ electricity is renewable, versus 24% in Japan.
Japan: 23.6% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Japan carries 40% more fine dust than in the United States.
Japan: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 25 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Japan.
Japan: 0.2 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 5.3 times as deadly as in Japan.
Japan: 2.7 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Japan is on average 2.5 °C warmer than the United States.
Japan: 12.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Japan gets 2.1 times as much rain as the United States.
Japan: 1,824 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Japan bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Japan fits inside the United States 26 times.
Which has more people, Japan or the United States?
The United States has 2.8 times as many people as Japan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Japan or the United States?
People in Japan live 5.1 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Japan and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Japan or the United States?
Men in the United States are 4.9 cm taller than in Japan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
