EUR
…
JPY
…
Land Area
France
551,695 km²
Largest
Japan
377,975 km²
68.5% of largest
France is 1.46× larger than Japan
Population
Japan
LARGEST
123.37M
PEOPLE
France
55.7% OF LARGEST
68.72M
PEOPLE
Japan has 1.80× the population of France
GDP
Japan
LARGEST
$4.44T
France
75.9% OF LARGEST
$3.37T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Japan
LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
France
82.5% OF LARGEST
203.85K
TROOPS
Japan has 1.21× the active personnel of France
Air Force
Japan
LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
France
72.8% OF LARGEST
1.06K
AIRCRAFT
Japan has 1.37× the aircraft of France
Naval Assets
France
Japan
Wealth
Gold Reserves
France
LARGEST
2,437.0
Metric Tonnes
Japan
34.7% OF LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
France
6.7% OF LARGEST
$78B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
France
MOST
43
billionaires
Japan
95% OF MOST
41
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
France
LARGEST
0.1
Billion barrels
Japan
40.0% OF LARGEST
0.0
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
France
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
1.6M b/d
−1.6M b/d net
Japan
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
3.3M b/d
−3.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
France
$1,071.1B
Exports
$1,071.1B
Imports
$1,081.5B
Trade Balance
$-10.4B
Trade Deficit
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
France
consumption
Japan
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
France
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
France
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
France
consumption
Japan
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
France
consumption
Japan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
France
Japan
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
France
295
Gold
331
Silver
365
Bronze
991
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 830
❄ Winter: 161
Japan
211
Gold
198
Silver
235
Bronze
644
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 544
❄ Winter: 100
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
France
Japan
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
France
41.7
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Japan is 6.9 years older (median) than France
Youth Population
France has the highest youth population at 35.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Japan has the highest elderly population at 34.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
France
|
Japan
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
188
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
79.4M
|
25.1M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
76
|
29
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
30
|
20
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
50
|
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.
|
France
|
Japan
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $15 | $9 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $60 | $45 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $750 | $650 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $165 | $130 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $30 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $70 | $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
France
Japan
Physicians per 1,000
France
Japan
Hospital beds per 1,000
Japan
France
Diabetes prevalence
Japan
France
Obesity prevalence
France
Japan
Suicide rate per 100k
Japan
France
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for France vs Japan — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 68720337 | 123366734 |
| Area (sq km) | 551695 | 377975 |
| Capital | Paris | Tokyo |
| Official Language | French | Japanese |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Government Type | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 203,850 | 247,150 |
| Reserve Personnel | 35,000 | 56,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 240,000 | 303,150 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $55,000,000,000 | $49,100,000,000 |
| Tanks | 406 | 579 |
| Armored Vehicles | 6,300 | 3,137 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 109 | 166 |
| Towed Artillery | 12 | 492 |
| Rocket Projectors | 13 | 99 |
Economy
| Metric | France | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $3,366,315,927,447 | $4,435,162,999,977 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $48,986 | $35,951 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 7.5% | 2.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 31.8 | 32.3 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
France is 1.5 times larger in area than Japan.
Japan has 1.8 times more people than France.
France has the highest GDP per capita at $48,986 among the selected countries.
Japan has the largest economy with a GDP of
$4.44 trillion.
Japan has the largest active military personnel with 247,150 troops.
Japan has the largest air force with 1,449 aircraft.
France has the largest navy with 180 vessels.
France vs Japan: Key Comparisons
Economy: Japan's GDP of $4.4T is 1.3x larger than France's $3.4T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Japan's population of 123M is 1.8x larger than France's 69M.
Area: France covers 551,695 km², making it 1.5x larger than Japan.
Military: Japan fields 250Thousand active troops vs France's 200Thousand.
Trade: France has a trade deficit of $10B while Japan has a trade deficit of $35B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs France's 83.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology