Country comparison
China Japan
How do China and Japan compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.
China vs Japan at a glance
- China's surface area is larger: about 25× Japan's (9,562,910 km² vs 377,969 km²).
- China's population is larger: about 11× Japan's (1.4B vs 123.4M).
- China's GDP (total) is larger: about 4.4× Japan's ($19.5T vs $4.4T).
- China's GDP per capita is about 39% of Japan's.
China vs Japan in the world: GDP per capita
GDP per capita log axis
Every dot is one country with data — the two highlighted dots are these countries; the dashed line marks the world median. Wide-range metrics use a logarithmic axis (tagged).
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ChinaJapan — China's GDP per capita is about 39% of Japan's.
| Metric | China | Japan | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 1.4B (2025) | 123.4M (2025) | 11× |
| Population growth | -0.2% (2025) | -0.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 66.3% (2025) | 92.3% (2025) | 72% |
| Population aged 65+ | 14.9% (2025) | 30.0% (2025) | 50% |
| Fertility rate | 1.0 (2024) | 1.2 (2024) | 88% |
| Birth rate | 6.8‰ (2024) | 5.7‰ (2024) | 1.2× |
| Death rate | 7.8‰ (2024) | 13.3‰ (2024) | 58% |
| Net migration | -268.1K (2025) | 140.6K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 9,562,910 km² (2023) | 377,969 km² (2023) | 25× |
| Population densityderived | 147/km² (2025) | 326/km² (2025) | 45% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $19.5T (2025) | $4.4T (2025) | 4.4× |
| GDP per capita | $13,862 (2025) | $35,951 (2025) | 39% |
| GNI per capita | $14,230 (2025) | $38,340 (2025) | 37% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 5.0% (2025) | 1.2% (2025) | 4.2× |
| Inflation rate | 0.1% (2025) | 3.2% (2025) | 2% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% (2025) | 2.5% (2025) | 1.9× |
| Gini index | 36.0 (2022) | 32.3 (2020) | 1.1× |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.0% (2022) | 1.2% (2020) | N/A |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 21.1% (2025) | 22.0% (2024) | 96% |
| Imports share of GDP | 16.9% (2025) | 22.9% (2024) | 74% |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 6.7% (2025) | 1.0% (2024) | 6.9× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 24.7% (2025) | 18.8% (2024) | 1.3× |
| International tourist arrivals | 30.4M (2020) | 4.1M (2020) | 7.4× |
| Tourism receipts | $27.8B (2004) | $11.4B (2020) | 2.4× |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 78.0 years (2024) | 84.0 years (2024) | 93% |
| Infant mortality | 4.1‰ (2024) | 1.8‰ (2024) | 2.3× |
| Under-five mortality | 5.7‰ (2024) | 2.4‰ (2024) | 2.4× |
| DPT immunization | 97.0% (2024) | 99.0% (2024) | 98% |
| Hospital beds | 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) | 12.6 per 1,000 (2022) | 45% |
| Health spending share of GDP | 5.9% (2023) | 10.7% (2023) | 55% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 92.3% (2012) | 101.5% (2023) | 91% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 3.9% (2023) | 3.3% (2021) | 1.2× |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.797 (2023) | 0.925 (2023) | 86% |
| Internet users | 91.6% (2025) | 85.5% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Mobile subscriptions | 131.8 per 100 (2024) | 178.4 per 100 (2023) | 74% |
| Fixed broadband | 47.2 per 100 (2024) | 38.6 per 100 (2023) | 1.2× |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 9.3 t (2024) | 7.8 t (2024) | 1.2× |
| CO₂ emissions (total)derived | 13,125 Mt (2024) | 972 Mt (2024) | 13× |
| Renewable electricity share | 28.4% (2021) | 21.1% (2021) | 1.3× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 15.2% (2021) | 8.8% (2021) | 1.7× |
| Forest area | 24.0% (2023) | 68.4% (2023) | 35% |
| Agricultural land | 55.4% (2023) | 12.6% (2023) | 4.4× |
| Arable land | 11.5% (2023) | 11.1% (2023) | 1.0× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 32.0 µg/m³ (2023) | 11.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 2.8× |
| Military spending | 1.7% (2024) | 1.4% (2024) | 1.2× |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
China
- Capital
- Beijing
- Languages
- Chinese
- Currencies
- CNY
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
Japan
- Capital
- Tokyo
- Languages
- Japanese
- Currencies
- JPY
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
China vs Japan in five metrics
Full metric comparison
| Metric | China | Japan | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 1.4B (2025) | 123.4M (2025) | 11× |
| Population growth | -0.2% (2025) | -0.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 66.3% (2025) | 92.3% (2025) | 72% |
| Population aged 65+ | 14.9% (2025) | 30.0% (2025) | 50% |
| Fertility rate | 1.0 (2024) | 1.2 (2024) | 88% |
| Birth rate | 6.8‰ (2024) | 5.7‰ (2024) | 1.2× |
| Death rate | 7.8‰ (2024) | 13.3‰ (2024) | 58% |
| Net migration | -268.1K (2025) | 140.6K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 9,562,910 km² (2023) | 377,969 km² (2023) | 25× |
| Population density derived | 147/km² (2025) | 326/km² (2025) | 45% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $19.5T (2025) | $4.4T (2025) | 4.4× |
| GDP per capita | $13,862 (2025) | $35,951 (2025) | 39% |
| GNI per capita | $14,230 (2025) | $38,340 (2025) | 37% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 5.0% (2025) | 1.2% (2025) | 4.2× |
| Inflation rate | 0.1% (2025) | 3.2% (2025) | 2% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% (2025) | 2.5% (2025) | 1.9× |
| Gini index | 36.0 (2022) | 32.3 (2020) | 1.1× |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.0% (2022) | 1.2% (2020) | N/A |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 21.1% (2025) | 22.0% (2024) | 96% |
| Imports share of GDP | 16.9% (2025) | 22.9% (2024) | 74% |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 6.7% (2025) | 1.0% (2024) | 6.9× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 24.7% (2025) | 18.8% (2024) | 1.3× |
| International tourist arrivals | 30.4M (2020) | 4.1M (2020) | 7.4× |
| Tourism receipts | $27.8B (2004) | $11.4B (2020) | 2.4× |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 78.0 years (2024) | 84.0 years (2024) | 93% |
| Infant mortality | 4.1‰ (2024) | 1.8‰ (2024) | 2.3× |
| Under-five mortality | 5.7‰ (2024) | 2.4‰ (2024) | 2.4× |
| DPT immunization | 97.0% (2024) | 99.0% (2024) | 98% |
| Hospital beds | 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) | 12.6 per 1,000 (2022) | 45% |
| Health spending share of GDP | 5.9% (2023) | 10.7% (2023) | 55% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 92.3% (2012) | 101.5% (2023) | 91% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 3.9% (2023) | 3.3% (2021) | 1.2× |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.797 (2023) | 0.925 (2023) | 86% |
| Internet users | 91.6% (2025) | 85.5% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Mobile subscriptions | 131.8 per 100 (2024) | 178.4 per 100 (2023) | 74% |
| Fixed broadband | 47.2 per 100 (2024) | 38.6 per 100 (2023) | 1.2× |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 9.3 t (2024) | 7.8 t (2024) | 1.2× |
| CO₂ emissions (total) derived | 13,125 Mt (2024) | 972 Mt (2024) | 13× |
| Renewable electricity share | 28.4% (2021) | 21.1% (2021) | 1.3× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 15.2% (2021) | 8.8% (2021) | 1.7× |
| Forest area | 24.0% (2023) | 68.4% (2023) | 35% |
| Agricultural land | 55.4% (2023) | 12.6% (2023) | 4.4× |
| Arable land | 11.5% (2023) | 11.1% (2023) | 1.0× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 32.0 µg/m³ (2023) | 11.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 2.8× |
| Military spending | 1.7% (2024) | 1.4% (2024) | 1.2× |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the displayed surface area (World Bank surface-area figures where available) — so it can differ from the World Bank's own land-area-based density.
Reference facts
| Metric | China | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Beijing | Tokyo |
| Languages | Chinese | Japanese |
| Currencies | CNY | JPY |
| Subregion | Eastern Asia | Eastern Asia |
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, China or Japan?
China's surface area is larger: about 25× Japan's (9,562,910 km² vs 377,969 km²).
Which has a larger population, China or Japan?
China's population is larger: about 11× Japan's (1.4B vs 123.4M).
Which economy is larger, China or Japan?
China's GDP (total) is larger: about 4.4× Japan's ($19.5T vs $4.4T).
Which has a higher GDP per capita, China or Japan?
China's GDP per capita is smaller: about 39% of Japan's ($13,862 vs $35,951).
Related tools and comparisons
Open the interactive compare tool with China and Japan preselected
See China and Japan's true size on a drag-and-drop map →
Distance between China and Japan →
China country profile: key metrics vs world median →
Japan country profile: key metrics vs world median →
More comparisons with China and Japan
Data & method
Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Surface area (sq. km) — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas follow the World Bank AG.SRF.TOTL.K2 figures, with mledoze/countries (or a measured Natural Earth boundary, marked †) only where World Bank coverage is missing.
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).