Country comparison
Germany Japan
How do Germany and Japan compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.
Germany vs Japan at a glance
- Germany's surface area is smaller: about 95% of Japan's (357,680 km² vs 377,969 km²).
- Germany's population is smaller: about 68% of Japan's (83.5M vs 123.4M).
- Germany's GDP (total) is larger: about 1.1× Japan's ($5.1T vs $4.4T).
- Germany's GDP per capita is about 1.7× Japan's.
Germany 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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GermanyJapan — Germany's GDP per capita is about 1.7× Japan's.
| Metric | Germany | Japan | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 83.5M (2025) | 123.4M (2025) | 68% |
| Population growth | -0.0% (2025) | -0.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 82.1% (2025) | 92.3% (2025) | 89% |
| Population aged 65+ | 23.7% (2025) | 30.0% (2025) | 79% |
| Fertility rate | 1.4 (2024) | 1.2 (2024) | 1.2× |
| Birth rate | 8.1‰ (2024) | 5.7‰ (2024) | 1.4× |
| Death rate | 12.1‰ (2024) | 13.3‰ (2024) | 91% |
| Net migration | -334.1K (2025) | 140.6K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 357,680 km² (2023) | 377,969 km² (2023) | 95% |
| Population densityderived | 233/km² (2025) | 326/km² (2025) | 72% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $5.1T (2025) | $4.4T (2025) | 1.1× |
| GDP per capita | $60,496 (2025) | $35,951 (2025) | 1.7× |
| GNI per capita | $60,200 (2025) | $38,340 (2025) | 1.6× |
| GDP growth (annual) | 0.2% (2025) | 1.2% (2025) | 20% |
| Inflation rate | 2.2% (2025) | 3.2% (2025) | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% (2025) | 2.5% (2025) | 1.5× |
| Gini index | 33.7 (2022) | 32.3 (2020) | 1.0× |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.7% (2022) | 1.2% (2020) | 58% |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 40.4% (2025) | 22.0% (2024) | 1.8× |
| Imports share of GDP | 38.1% (2025) | 22.9% (2024) | 1.7× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 0.9% (2025) | 1.0% (2024) | 91% |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 17.6% (2025) | 18.8% (2024) | 94% |
| International tourist arrivals | 12.4M (2020) | 4.1M (2020) | 3.0× |
| Tourism receipts | $58.4B (2019) | $11.4B (2020) | 5.1× |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 80.8 years (2024) | 84.0 years (2024) | 96% |
| Infant mortality | 3.1‰ (2024) | 1.8‰ (2024) | 1.7× |
| Under-five mortality | 3.7‰ (2024) | 2.4‰ (2024) | 1.5× |
| DPT immunization | 89.0% (2024) | 99.0% (2024) | 90% |
| Hospital beds | 7.6 per 1,000 (2023) | 12.6 per 1,000 (2022) | 60% |
| Health spending share of GDP | 12.3% (2024) | 10.7% (2023) | 1.1× |
| Secondary school enrollment | 100.2% (2024) | 101.5% (2023) | 99% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 5.2% (2022) | 3.3% (2021) | 1.6× |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.959 (2023) | 0.925 (2023) | 1.0× |
| Internet users | 93.5% (2024) | 85.5% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Mobile subscriptions | 129.2 per 100 (2024) | 178.4 per 100 (2023) | 72% |
| Fixed broadband | 45.6 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 | 6.9 t (2024) | 7.8 t (2024) | 89% |
| CO₂ emissions (total)derived | 580 Mt (2024) | 972 Mt (2024) | 60% |
| Renewable electricity share | 39.8% (2021) | 21.1% (2021) | 1.9× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 17.6% (2021) | 8.8% (2021) | 2.0× |
| Forest area | 32.7% (2023) | 68.4% (2023) | 48% |
| Agricultural land | 47.5% (2023) | 12.6% (2023) | 3.8× |
| Arable land | 33.4% (2023) | 11.1% (2023) | 3.0× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 8.8 µg/m³ (2023) | 11.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 77% |
| Military spending | 1.9% (2024) | 1.4% (2024) | 1.4× |
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.
Germany
- Capital
- Berlin
- Languages
- German
- Currencies
- EUR
- Subregion
- Western Europe
Japan
- Capital
- Tokyo
- Languages
- Japanese
- Currencies
- JPY
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
Germany vs Japan in five metrics
Full metric comparison
| Metric | Germany | Japan | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 83.5M (2025) | 123.4M (2025) | 68% |
| Population growth | -0.0% (2025) | -0.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 82.1% (2025) | 92.3% (2025) | 89% |
| Population aged 65+ | 23.7% (2025) | 30.0% (2025) | 79% |
| Fertility rate | 1.4 (2024) | 1.2 (2024) | 1.2× |
| Birth rate | 8.1‰ (2024) | 5.7‰ (2024) | 1.4× |
| Death rate | 12.1‰ (2024) | 13.3‰ (2024) | 91% |
| Net migration | -334.1K (2025) | 140.6K (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 357,680 km² (2023) | 377,969 km² (2023) | 95% |
| Population density derived | 233/km² (2025) | 326/km² (2025) | 72% |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $5.1T (2025) | $4.4T (2025) | 1.1× |
| GDP per capita | $60,496 (2025) | $35,951 (2025) | 1.7× |
| GNI per capita | $60,200 (2025) | $38,340 (2025) | 1.6× |
| GDP growth (annual) | 0.2% (2025) | 1.2% (2025) | 20% |
| Inflation rate | 2.2% (2025) | 3.2% (2025) | 68% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% (2025) | 2.5% (2025) | 1.5× |
| Gini index | 33.7 (2022) | 32.3 (2020) | 1.0× |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.7% (2022) | 1.2% (2020) | 58% |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 40.4% (2025) | 22.0% (2024) | 1.8× |
| Imports share of GDP | 38.1% (2025) | 22.9% (2024) | 1.7× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 0.9% (2025) | 1.0% (2024) | 91% |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 17.6% (2025) | 18.8% (2024) | 94% |
| International tourist arrivals | 12.4M (2020) | 4.1M (2020) | 3.0× |
| Tourism receipts | $58.4B (2019) | $11.4B (2020) | 5.1× |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 80.8 years (2024) | 84.0 years (2024) | 96% |
| Infant mortality | 3.1‰ (2024) | 1.8‰ (2024) | 1.7× |
| Under-five mortality | 3.7‰ (2024) | 2.4‰ (2024) | 1.5× |
| DPT immunization | 89.0% (2024) | 99.0% (2024) | 90% |
| Hospital beds | 7.6 per 1,000 (2023) | 12.6 per 1,000 (2022) | 60% |
| Health spending share of GDP | 12.3% (2024) | 10.7% (2023) | 1.1× |
| Secondary school enrollment | 100.2% (2024) | 101.5% (2023) | 99% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 5.2% (2022) | 3.3% (2021) | 1.6× |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.959 (2023) | 0.925 (2023) | 1.0× |
| Internet users | 93.5% (2024) | 85.5% (2024) | 1.1× |
| Mobile subscriptions | 129.2 per 100 (2024) | 178.4 per 100 (2023) | 72% |
| Fixed broadband | 45.6 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 | 6.9 t (2024) | 7.8 t (2024) | 89% |
| CO₂ emissions (total) derived | 580 Mt (2024) | 972 Mt (2024) | 60% |
| Renewable electricity share | 39.8% (2021) | 21.1% (2021) | 1.9× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 17.6% (2021) | 8.8% (2021) | 2.0× |
| Forest area | 32.7% (2023) | 68.4% (2023) | 48% |
| Agricultural land | 47.5% (2023) | 12.6% (2023) | 3.8× |
| Arable land | 33.4% (2023) | 11.1% (2023) | 3.0× |
| PM2.5 exposure | 8.8 µg/m³ (2023) | 11.5 µg/m³ (2023) | 77% |
| Military spending | 1.9% (2024) | 1.4% (2024) | 1.4× |
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 | Germany | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Berlin | Tokyo |
| Languages | German | Japanese |
| Currencies | EUR | JPY |
| Subregion | Western Europe | Eastern Asia |
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, Germany or Japan?
Germany's surface area is smaller: about 95% of Japan's (357,680 km² vs 377,969 km²).
Which has a larger population, Germany or Japan?
Germany's population is smaller: about 68% of Japan's (83.5M vs 123.4M).
Which economy is larger, Germany or Japan?
Germany's GDP (total) is larger: about 1.1× Japan's ($5.1T vs $4.4T).
Which has a higher GDP per capita, Germany or Japan?
Germany's GDP per capita is larger: about 1.7× Japan's ($60,496 vs $35,951).
Related tools and comparisons
Open the interactive compare tool with Germany and Japan preselected
See Germany and Japan's true size on a drag-and-drop map →
Distance between Germany and Japan →
Germany country profile: key metrics vs world median →
Japan country profile: key metrics vs world median →
More comparisons with Germany 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).