JPY
…
GBP
…
Land Area
Japan
377,975 km²
Largest
United Kingdom
243,610 km²
64.5% of largest
Japan is 1.55× larger than United Kingdom
Population
Japan
LARGEST
123.37M
PEOPLE
United Kingdom
56.3% OF LARGEST
69.49M
PEOPLE
Japan has 1.78× the population of United Kingdom
GDP
Japan
LARGEST
$4.44T
United Kingdom
90.2% OF LARGEST
$4.0T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Japan
LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
United Kingdom
62.0% OF LARGEST
153.29K
TROOPS
Japan has 1.61× the active personnel of United Kingdom
Air Force
Japan
LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
United Kingdom
50.6% OF LARGEST
733
AIRCRAFT
Japan has 1.98× the aircraft of United Kingdom
Naval Assets
Japan
United Kingdom
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
United Kingdom
36.7% OF LARGEST
310.3
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
United Kingdom
12.8% OF LARGEST
$149B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
United Kingdom
MOST
165
billionaires
Japan
25% OF MOST
41
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
United Kingdom
LARGEST
2.5
Billion barrels
Japan
1.6% OF LARGEST
0.0
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Japan
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
3.3M b/d
−3.3M b/d net
United Kingdom
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.8M b/d
Consumption
1.5M b/d
−0.8M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
United Kingdom
$1,142.1B
Exports
$1,142.1B
Imports
$1,174.2B
Trade Balance
$-32.1B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
United Kingdom
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
Japan
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
Japan
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
Japan
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
Japan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Japan
United Kingdom
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
United Kingdom
320
Gold
348
Silver
362
Bronze
1,030
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 991
❄ Winter: 39
Japan
211
Gold
198
Silver
235
Bronze
644
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 544
❄ Winter: 100
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Japan
United Kingdom
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
United Kingdom
40.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Japan is 8.0 years older (median) than United Kingdom
Youth Population
United Kingdom has the highest youth population at 35.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Japan has the highest elderly population at 34.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Japan
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
193
|
188
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
25.1M
|
37.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
29
|
137
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
20
|
10
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
26
|
34
|
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.
|
Japan
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $9 | $15 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $45 | $65 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $650 | $1,100 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $130 | $190 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $35 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $90 | $85 |
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
United Kingdom
Japan
Physicians per 1,000
United Kingdom
Japan
Hospital beds per 1,000
Japan
United Kingdom
Diabetes prevalence
Japan
United Kingdom
Obesity prevalence
United Kingdom
Japan
Suicide rate per 100k
Japan
United Kingdom
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Japan vs United Kingdom — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Japan | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 123366734 | 69487000 |
| Area (sq km) | 377975 | 243610 |
| Capital | Tokyo | London |
| Official Language | Japanese | English |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Japan | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 247,150 | 153,290 |
| Reserve Personnel | 56,000 | 81,500 |
| Total Military Personnel | 303,150 | 234,790 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $49,100,000,000 | $68,400,000,000 |
| Tanks | 579 | 227 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,137 | 5,015 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 166 | 89 |
| Towed Artillery | 492 | 126 |
| Rocket Projectors | 99 | 44 |
Economy
| Metric | Japan | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $4,435,162,999,977 | $4,002,587,541,846 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $35,951 | $57,602 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.5% | 4.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.3 | 32.4 |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Japan is 1.6 times larger in area than United Kingdom.
Japan has 1.8 times more people than United Kingdom.
United Kingdom has the highest GDP per capita at $57,602 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.
Japan has the largest navy with 155 vessels.
UK Fact: The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, opening in 1863.
Japan vs United Kingdom: Key Comparisons
Economy: Japan's GDP of $4.4T is 1.1x larger than United Kingdom's $4.0T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Japan's population of 123M is 1.8x larger than United Kingdom's 69M.
Area: Japan covers 377,975 km², making it 1.6x larger than United Kingdom.
Military: Japan fields 250Thousand active troops vs United Kingdom's 150Thousand.
Trade: Japan has a trade deficit of $35B while United Kingdom has a trade deficit of $32B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs United Kingdom's 81.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology