EUR
…
JPY
…
Land Area
Japan
377,975 km²
Largest
Germany
357,022 km²
94.5% of largest
Japan is 1.06× larger than Germany
Population
Japan
LARGEST
123.37M
PEOPLE
Germany
67.7% OF LARGEST
83.49M
PEOPLE
Japan has 1.48× the population of Germany
GDP
Germany
LARGEST
$5.05T
Japan
87.8% OF LARGEST
$4.44T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Japan
LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
Germany
74.2% OF LARGEST
183.5K
TROOPS
Japan has 1.35× the active personnel of Germany
Air Force
Japan
LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
Germany
42.6% OF LARGEST
617
AIRCRAFT
Japan has 2.35× the aircraft of Germany
Naval Assets
Japan
Germany
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Germany
LARGEST
3,351.6
Metric Tonnes
Japan
25.2% OF LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
Germany
8.4% OF LARGEST
$97B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Germany
MOST
132
billionaires
Japan
31% OF MOST
41
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Germany
LARGEST
0.1
Billion barrels
Japan
40.0% OF LARGEST
0.0
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Germany
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.1M b/d
Consumption
2.3M b/d
−2.3M b/d net
Japan
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
3.3M b/d
−3.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Germany
$1,941.4B
Exports
$1,941.4B
Imports
$1,764.4B
Trade Balance
+$177.0B
Trade Surplus
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Germany
consumption
Japan
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Germany
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Germany
consumption
Japan
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Germany
consumption
Japan
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Germany
consumption
Japan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Germany
Japan
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Germany
335
Gold
331
Silver
331
Bronze
997
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 704
❄ Winter: 293
Japan
211
Gold
198
Silver
235
Bronze
644
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 544
❄ Winter: 100
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Germany
Japan
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Germany
47.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Japan is 0.8 years older (median) than Germany
Youth Population
Germany has the highest youth population at 30% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Japan has the highest elderly population at 34.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Germany
|
Japan
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
189
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
39.6M
|
25.1M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
115
|
29
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
12
|
20
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
53
|
26
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Germany
|
Japan
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $12 | $9 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $55 | $45 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,100 | $1,000 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $800 | $650 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $180 | $130 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $35 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $75 | $90 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
Germany
Japan
Physicians per 1,000
Germany
Japan
Hospital beds per 1,000
Japan
Germany
Diabetes prevalence
Japan
Germany
Obesity prevalence
Germany
Japan
Suicide rate per 100k
Japan
Germany
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Germany vs Japan — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Germany | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 83491249 | 123366734 |
| Area (sq km) | 357022 | 377975 |
| Capital | Berlin | Tokyo |
| Official Language | German | Japanese |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Government Type | Federal parliamentary republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Germany | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 183,500 | 247,150 |
| Reserve Personnel | 30,000 | 56,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 214,000 | 303,150 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $56,000,000,000 | $49,100,000,000 |
| Tanks | 266 | 579 |
| Armored Vehicles | 5,318 | 3,137 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 121 | 166 |
| Towed Artillery | 0 | 492 |
| Rocket Projectors | 38 | 99 |
Economy
| Metric | Germany | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $5,050,922,925,047 | $4,435,162,999,977 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $60,496 | $35,951 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.7% | 2.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 33.7 | 32.3 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Japan is 1.1 times larger in area than Germany.
Japan has 1.5 times more people than Germany.
Germany has the highest GDP per capita at $60,496 among the selected countries.
Germany has the largest economy with a GDP of
$5.05 trillion.
Japan has the largest active military personnel with 247,150 troops.
Japan has the largest air force with 1,449 aircraft.
Japan has the largest navy with 155 vessels.
Germany vs Japan: Key Comparisons
Economy: Germany's GDP of $5.1T is 1.1x larger than Japan's $4.4T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Japan's population of 123M is 1.5x larger than Germany's 83M.
Area: Japan covers 377,975 km², making it 1.1x larger than Germany.
Military: Japan fields 250Thousand active troops vs Germany's 180Thousand.
Trade: Germany runs a trade surplus of $177B while Japan has a trade deficit of $35B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs Germany's 81.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology