EUR
…
JPY
…
Land Area
Japan
377,975 km²
Largest
Italy
301,340 km²
79.7% of largest
Japan is 1.25× larger than Italy
Population
Japan
LARGEST
123.37M
PEOPLE
Italy
47.8% OF LARGEST
58.92M
PEOPLE
Japan has 2.09× the population of Italy
GDP
Japan
LARGEST
$4.44T
Italy
57.5% OF LARGEST
$2.55T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Japan
LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
Italy
68.8% OF LARGEST
170K
TROOPS
Japan has 1.45× the active personnel of Italy
Air Force
Japan
LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
Italy
59.5% OF LARGEST
862
AIRCRAFT
Japan has 1.68× the aircraft of Italy
Naval Assets
Japan
Italy
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Italy
LARGEST
2,451.9
Metric Tonnes
Japan
34.5% OF LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
Italy
7.3% OF LARGEST
$85B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Italy
MOST
73
billionaires
Japan
56% OF MOST
41
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Italy
LARGEST
0.5
Billion barrels
Japan
8.0% OF LARGEST
0.0
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Italy
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.1M b/d
Consumption
1.2M b/d
−1.1M b/d net
Japan
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
3.3M b/d
−3.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Italy
$773.9B
Exports
$773.9B
Imports
$721.8B
Trade Balance
+$52.1B
Trade Surplus
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Italy
consumption
Japan
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Italy
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Italy
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Italy
consumption
Japan
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Italy
consumption
Japan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Italy
Japan
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Italy
283
Gold
255
Silver
300
Bronze
838
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 667
❄ Winter: 171
Japan
211
Gold
198
Silver
235
Bronze
644
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 544
❄ Winter: 100
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Italy
Japan
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Italy
47.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Japan is 0.7 years older (median) than Italy
Youth Population
Italy has the highest youth population at 29.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Japan has the highest elderly population at 34.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Italy
|
Japan
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
189
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
57.2M
|
25.1M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
21
|
29
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
15
|
20
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
59
|
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.
|
Italy
|
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) | $850 | $1,000 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $600 | $650 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $155 | $130 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $30 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $40 | $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
Japan
Italy
Physicians per 1,000
Italy
Japan
Hospital beds per 1,000
Japan
Italy
Diabetes prevalence
Japan
Italy
Obesity prevalence
Italy
Japan
Suicide rate per 100k
Japan
Italy
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Italy vs Japan — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Italy | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 58915656 | 123366734 |
| Area (sq km) | 301340 | 377975 |
| Capital | Rome | Tokyo |
| Official Language | Italian | Japanese |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Italy | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 170,000 | 247,150 |
| Reserve Personnel | 18,300 | 56,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 188,300 | 303,150 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $29,800,000,000 | $49,100,000,000 |
| Tanks | 200 | 579 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,500 | 3,137 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 89 | 166 |
| Towed Artillery | 70 | 492 |
| Rocket Projectors | 21 | 99 |
Economy
| Metric | Italy | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2,551,556,954,100 | $4,435,162,999,977 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $43,309 | $35,951 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 6.4% | 2.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 34.3 | 32.3 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Japanese Yen (JPY) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Japan is 1.3 times larger in area than Italy.
Japan has 2.1 times more people than Italy.
Italy has the highest GDP per capita at $43,309 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.
Italy vs Japan: Key Comparisons
Economy: Japan's GDP of $4.4T is 1.7x larger than Italy's $2.6T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Japan's population of 123M is 2.1x larger than Italy's 59M.
Area: Japan covers 377,975 km², making it 1.3x larger than Italy.
Military: Japan fields 250Thousand active troops vs Italy's 170Thousand.
Trade: Italy runs a trade surplus of $52B while Japan has a trade deficit of $35B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs Italy's 84.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology