JPY
…
EUR
…
Land Area
Spain
505,992 km²
Largest
Japan
377,975 km²
74.7% of largest
Spain is 1.34× larger than Japan
Population
Japan
LARGEST
123.37M
PEOPLE
Spain
40.0% OF LARGEST
49.36M
PEOPLE
Japan has 2.50× the population of Spain
GDP
Japan
LARGEST
$4.44T
Spain
43.0% OF LARGEST
$1.91T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Japan
LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
Spain
48.7% OF LARGEST
120.35K
TROOPS
Japan has 2.05× the active personnel of Spain
Air Force
Japan
LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
Spain
36.0% OF LARGEST
522
AIRCRAFT
Japan has 2.78× the aircraft of Spain
Naval Assets
Japan
Spain
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
Spain
33.3% OF LARGEST
281.6
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
Spain
7.2% OF LARGEST
$84B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Japan
MOST
41
billionaires
Spain
71% OF MOST
29
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Spain
LARGEST
0.2
Billion barrels
Japan
26.7% 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
Spain
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
1.3M b/d
−1.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
Spain
$639.5B
Exports
$639.5B
Imports
$567.7B
Trade Balance
+$71.8B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Spain
consumption
Japan
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Spain
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Spain
consumption
Japan
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Spain
consumption
Japan
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Spain
consumption
Japan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Spain
Japan
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Japan
211
Gold
198
Silver
235
Bronze
644
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 544
❄ Winter: 100
Spain
55
Gold
77
Silver
63
Bronze
195
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 187
❄ Winter: 8
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Japan
Spain
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Spain
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Japan is 3.7 years older (median) than Spain
Youth Population
Spain 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 |
Japan
|
Spain
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
193
|
190
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
25.1M
|
85.2M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
29
|
8
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
20
|
16
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
26
|
50
|
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
|
Spain
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
N/A |
| Rent Index |
|
N/A |
| Groceries Index |
|
N/A |
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
N/A |
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
N/A |
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $9 | N/A |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $45 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,000 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $650 | N/A |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $130 | N/A |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $35 | N/A |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $90 | N/A |
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
Spain
Physicians per 1,000
Spain
Japan
Hospital beds per 1,000
Japan
Spain
Diabetes prevalence
Spain
Japan
Obesity prevalence
Spain
Japan
Suicide rate per 100k
Japan
Spain
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Japan vs Spain — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Japan | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 123366734 | 49355143 |
| Area (sq km) | 377975 | 505992 |
| Capital | Tokyo | Madrid |
| Official Language | Japanese | Spanish |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | Euro (EUR) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | Japan | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 247,150 | 120,350 |
| Reserve Personnel | 56,000 | 15,150 |
| Total Military Personnel | 303,150 | 135,500 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $49,100,000,000 | $14,900,000,000 |
| Tanks | 579 | 327 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,137 | 2,040 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 166 | 96 |
| Towed Artillery | 492 | 56 |
| Rocket Projectors | 99 | 0 |
Economy
| Metric | Japan | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $4,435,162,999,977 | $1,906,453,309,986 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $35,951 | $38,627 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.5% | 10.4% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.3 | 33.4 |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | Euro (EUR) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Spain is 1.3 times larger in area than Japan.
Japan has 2.5 times more people than Spain.
Spain has the highest GDP per capita at $38,627 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.
Japan vs Spain: Key Comparisons
Economy: Japan's GDP of $4.4T is 2.3x larger than Spain's $1.9T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Japan's population of 123M is 2.5x larger than Spain's 49M.
Area: Spain covers 505,992 km², making it 1.3x larger than Japan.
Military: Japan fields 250Thousand active troops vs Spain's 120Thousand.
Trade: Japan has a trade deficit of $35B while Spain runs a trade surplus of $72B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs Spain's 84.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology