Japan vs United States: Compare Statistics

Side-by-side comparison of 177 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.

Summary

United States has 2.9 times as many people as Japan (349.13 million vs 122.45 million). United States's economy is 9.8 times the size of Japan's ($32.95 trillion vs $3.37 trillion GDP).

When comparing Japan and the United States, the United States leads in several key metrics including GDP at $32.95 trillion compared to Japan's $3.37 trillion, and a total population of 349.13 million versus Japan's 122.45 million. Meanwhile, Japan excels in the Human Capital Index with a score of 0.82, higher than the United States at 0.72.

Economy

The economic landscape shows significant differences. The United States dominates with a GDP of $32.95 trillion, nearly 9.78 times larger than Japan's $3.37 trillion. Additionally, the Agriculture Value Added in the United States is $350.60 billion, far surpassing Japan's $34.16 billion.

Health and Society

In health metrics, Japan leads with a life expectancy of 88.16 years compared to 83.22 years in the United States. However, the United States has a higher current health expenditure at 16.9% of GDP, compared to Japan's 11%.

Geography and Environment

Japan has a higher population density of 324.98 per sq. km, while the United States stands at 38.15 per sq. km. Interestingly, Japan also has a longer coastline measuring 29,751 km, compared to the United States at 19,924 km.

  • Japan excels in the Rule of Law Index with 95.09% over the United States at 88.3%.
  • The United States outperforms in airports with 16,116 compared to Japan's 280.

Communications

9 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Fixed Broadband Penetration38.63 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants★38.09 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
Internet Penetration Rate (%)85.54 %94.69 %★
Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population)86.98 %93.14 %★
Internet Userspercent of population: 87% (2023 est.)percent of population: 93% (2023 est.)
Mobile Internet Speed38.63 Mbps★38.09 Mbps
Press Freedom Index Score63.14 points65.49 points★
Radios120.5575★
Televisions86.5219★
Waterways1,77041,009★

Economy

65 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country34.16B $350.60B $★
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by Country in Current US Dollars3.37T $32.95T $★
AI Investment (% of GDP)26.18 %★21.84 %
Apple Import Volume8.06M tonnes76.82M tonnes★
Bank Account Ownership Rate98.52 %★97.02 %
Central Bank Discount Rate (%)0.3 %0.5 %★
Coal Revenue00.2★
Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate (%)1.48 %4.1 %★
Corporate Tax Rate Trends29.74 %★25.84 %
Current Health Expenditure (% of GDP)11 % of GDP16.9 % of GDP★
Ease of Doing Business Index86.192★
Electricity Consumption943.7★3.9
Electricity Exports09.7★
Electricity from Fossil Fuels71★70
Electricity from Hydroelectric Plants8★7
Electricity from Nuclear Fuels19★
Electricity from Other Renewables20★14
Electricity Imports072.72★
Electricity Installed Capacity295.9★1.09
Electricity Production989.3★4.1
Energy Consumption per Capita (USD)129.5 USD per capita278.47 USD per capita★
Female Labor Force Participation Rate76.97 %★68.99 %
Gini Index Coefficient32.341.8★
Gross Fixed Investment21.1★12.9
Gross National Saving28★18.9
High-Tech Export Percentage78.43 %★59.63 %
Highest GDP per Capita Countries48,283.37 USD76,931.31 USD★
Industrial Production Growth Rate (%)1.4 %3.25 %★
Inflation Rate2.74 %★2.95 %
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)2.7 %★2.9 %
Military Expenditures (% of GDP)1.4 % of GDP3.2 % of GDP★
Natural Gas Consumption127.2767.6★
Natural Gas Exports169.9★89.7
Natural Gas Imports116.6★86.15
Natural Gas Production3.06772.8★
Natural Gas Proved Reserves20.9★0
Number of AI Patents Filed4,270 patents13,124 patents★
Oil Consumption4.4519.15★
Oil Exports366,800★1.92
Oil Imports4.3910.27★
Oil Production131,800★9.69
Oil Proved Reserves44.12★20.68
Population Below Poverty Line16.1 people15.1 people★
Public Debt215.9114.8★
R&D Expenditure (% of GDP)3.44 %3.45 %★
Real GDP Growth Rate (USD)0.1 USD2.8 USD★
Real Interest Rate Trends0.97 %2.27 %★
Refined Petroleum Products Consumption3.8919.96★
Refined Petroleum Products Exports370,900★5.22
Refined Petroleum Products Imports1.12.18★
Refined Petroleum Products Production3.4720.3★
Remittances0.1★0
Researchers in R&D per Million5,629.8 researchers★4,937.49 researchers
Revenue from Forest Resources0.020.04★
Robotics Research Funding3.44 USD3.45 USD★
Share of population in poverty ($3 a day)1.210.5★
Taxes and Other Revenues35.2★12.18
Top Exporting Countries917.04B USD3.19T USD★
Top FDI Inflows (% of GDP)1.03 %1.3 %★
Total Number of Billionaires41989★
Tourism Contribution to GDP1.2 %2.97 %★
Tourism Revenue (% of GDP)1.2 %2.97 %★
Unemployment Rate2.6 %★4.2 %
Youth Labor Force Participation Rate63.45 %61.7 %★
Youth Unemployment Rate3.9 %★9.34 %

Environment

11 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs)-25.04M★-14.29M
Annual Forest Area Change Rate-2,200 %★-72,000 %
Average Annual Temperature12.86 °C★10.43 °C
Carbon Dioxide Emissions960.234.8★
Global Precipitation Distribution1,641.6 mm★810.4 mm
Population Distributionall primary and secondary regions of high population density lie on the coast; one third of the population resides in and around Tokyo on the central plain (Kanto Plain)large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western-tier states; mountainous areas such as the Rocky Mountains and Appalachians, deserts in the southwest
Protected Land Area for Adaptation29.6 sq km★12.85 sq km
Protected Land Area Percentage29.7 %★12.9 %
Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country27 Cubic meters per year1,383 Cubic meters per year★
Total Renewable Water Resources430★3.07
Total Threatened Mammal Species29 species★43 species

Geography

7 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization12.59 %★2.11 %
Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha)113★94.67
Agricultural land45,206 sq. km4.17M sq. km★
Airports per 1,000 Sq Km364,569.289.15M★
Coastline Length (km)29,751 km★19,924 km
Dam capacity per capita255.33 cubic meters per inhabitant2,113 cubic meters per inhabitant★
Irrigated Land15,730234,782★

Government

10 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Rule of Law Index by Country95.09 %★88.3 %
Administrative Divisions4750★
Corruption Perception Index71 index65 index★
Corruption Perceptions Index Score71 index★65 index
Independence34★
LGBT Rights Index Score3.947.08★
Political Stability Index82 index★47 index
Prison Population Rate37 per 100,000★505 per 100,000
Public Sector Corruption Perception7165★
Suffrage Participation Rate1818

Health

24 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Access to Safe Drinking Water98.73 %★97.57 %
Average BMI for Adults23.6 kg/m²28.8 kg/m²★
Change in Measles Immunization Rate95 %★92 %
Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std)5.6★26.21
Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population)8.113.7★
Female Life Expectancy Leaders84.04 years★78.89 years
Global Stillbirth Rate Trends0.17 per 1,000 births★0.27 per 1,000 births
Health Care Spending per Capita6,401.77 USD15,459.46 USD★
Health Coverage Index Score86 score88 score★
Health Expenditure (% of GDP)10.8 % of GDP16.6 % of GDP★
Highest Male Life Expectancy84.04 years★78.89 years
HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence RateNANA
Hospital Bed Density12.7 people/sq km★2.7 people/sq km
Hospital Beds per Capita12.59 beds per 1,000★2.68 beds per 1,000
Low Birth Weight Prevalence11.3 %8.26 %★
Maternal Mortality Ratio (%)3 %★17 %
Mean Age at First Birth30.7★27.5
Nurses and Midwives Density12.98 per 1,000 people13.38 per 1,000 people★
Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%)4.3 %★36.2 %
Out-of-Pocket Health Spending12.24 %10.93 %★
People Living With HIV/AIDS30,000NA
Public Health Spending (% of GDP)8.84 %14.3 %★
Total Number of Doctors2.653.68★
Underweight Children Under 5NA0.4

Military and Security

3 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Active Military Personnel247,000 personnel1.36M personnel★
Military Expenditure (% of GDP)1.41 %★3.12 %
Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP)261,0001.40M★

People and Society

41 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Currently married (Percent)45.75 %51.38 %★
Human Capital Index0.82★0.72
Life expectancy at birth88.16 years★83.22 years
Median age of population50.21 years★38.79 years
Population Change-619,033.8 persons2.26M persons★
Population density324.98 per sq. km38.15 per sq. km★
Total population122.45M persons349.13M persons★
Academic Freedom Index0.76★0.4
Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & RankingsA-BC★
Beer Consumption per Capita1.21 liters3.86 liters★
Birth Rate (%)6.84 %10.75 %★
Contraceptive Prevalence Rate39.8 %73.9 %★
Crude Birth Rate5.7 per 1,000 people10.6 per 1,000 people★
Death Rate (%)12.04 %8.76 %★
Education Expenditure (% of GDP)3.3 % of GDP5.4 % of GDP★
Female population of reproductive age22.27M persons78.56M persons★
Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)62.41 %94.85 %★
Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate38.63 %★38.09 %
Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth105.06 male/female★104.75 male/female
Human Development Index0.86★0.75
Labor Force Participation Rate69.38174.17★
Learning-adjusted years of school12.03 years★11.07 years
Length of paid parental leave for mother309 days★183.4 days
Major Urban Areas Population37.19 people★18.94 people
Mean Male Height (cm)170.82177.13★
Mean Years of Schooling12.83 years13.32 years★
Military Manpower at Military Age1818
Military Service Age and Obligation18★17
Old-Age Dependency Ratio50.12 %26.8 %★
Percentage of population by degree of urbanization91.43 %★74.52 %
Physician Density2.65 people/sq km3.68 people/sq km★
Population Growth Rate-0.45 %0.45 %★
Population living in slums2 %★0.05 %
Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio15.6614.2★
Total deaths1.56M persons★2.87M persons
Total demand for family planning (Percent)59.68 %65.73 %★
Total fertility rate1.19 per woman1.61 per woman★
Total net-migration220,640.4 persons1.49M persons★
Under-five mortality rate2.28 per live births★5.52 per live births
Urban Population Annual Growth Rate-0.37 %0.61 %★
Voting Age Population51.35 millions62.36 millions★

Transportation

5 metrics
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP)1.252.06★
Airports28016,116★
Annual Human Space Visits (Total)13★
Civil Air Travel3608,252★
Heliports3,0368,130★

Travel and Tourism

1 metric
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Tourism Receipts per Capita58.63B USD251.65B USD★

Other

1 metric
Metric🇯🇵 Japan🇺🇸 United StatesShare
Current Bank Rate0.75 %3.75 %★

Frequently Asked Questions About Japan vs United States

Which has a larger population, Japan or United States?▾

United States. United States has 2.9 times as many people as Japan (349.13 million vs 122.45 million). Data for 2026.

Which has a bigger economy, Japan or United States?▾

United States. United States's economy is 9.8 times the size of Japan's ($32.95 trillion vs $3.37 trillion GDP). Data for 2026.

Which is richer per person, Japan or United States?▾

United States is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $94,373 in United States vs $27,502 in Japan (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).

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