Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
Japan
377,975 km²
3.9% of largest
China is 25.39× larger than Japan
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
Japan
8.9% OF LARGEST
125.7M
PEOPLE
China has 11.24× the population of Japan
GDP
China
LARGEST
$17.96T
Japan
23.6% OF LARGEST
$4.23T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
Japan
12.1% OF LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
China has 8.23× the active personnel of Japan
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
Japan
44.1% OF LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
China has 2.27× the aircraft of Japan
Naval Assets
China
Japan
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Japan
37.1% OF LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
Japan
35.5% OF LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
Japan
9% OF MOST
41
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Japan
0.2% OF LARGEST
0.0
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
Japan
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
3.3M b/d
−3.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
Japan
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
China
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Japan
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
Japan
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
Japan
211
Gold
198
Silver
235
Bronze
644
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 544
❄ Winter: 100
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
Japan
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Japan is 9.6 years older (median) than China
Youth Population
China has the highest youth population at 36.5% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Japan has the highest elderly population at 34.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
Japan
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
25.1M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
29
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
9
|
26
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
Japan
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $9 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $45 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $1,000 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $650 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $130 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $90 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | China | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1412600000 | 125700000 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 377975 |
| Capital | Beijing | Tokyo |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Japanese |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 247,150 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 56,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 303,150 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $49,100,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 579 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 3,137 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 166 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 492 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 99 |
Economy
| Metric | China | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $17,963,200,000,000 | $4,231,100,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $12,720 | $33,660 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.0% | 2.6% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.5 | 32.9 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| China Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 0.0421 Weaker |
| Japan Currency | 23.7610 Stronger | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | CNY | JPY |
| 1 USD equals | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 161.7789 JPY Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 25.4 times larger in area than Japan.
That's a massive difference!
China has 11.2 times more people than Japan.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
Japan has the highest GDP per capita at $33,660 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$17.96 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 aircraft.
China has the largest navy with 777 vessels.
China Fact: China produces more than 1.4 billion tons of rice annually, feeding nearly 20% of the world's population.
China vs Japan: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $18.0T is 4.2x larger than Japan's $4.2T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 11.2x larger than Japan's 126M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 25.4x larger than Japan.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs Japan's 250Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while Japan has a trade deficit of $35B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 85 years vs China's 77.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology