JPY
…
KRW
…
Land Area
Japan
377,975 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
26.5% of largest
Japan is 3.77× larger than South Korea
Population
Japan
LARGEST
123.37M
PEOPLE
South Korea
41.9% OF LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
Japan has 2.39× the population of South Korea
GDP
Japan
LARGEST
$4.44T
South Korea
42.2% OF LARGEST
$1.87T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
South Korea
LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
Japan
44.5% OF LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
South Korea has 2.25× the active personnel of Japan
Air Force
South Korea
LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
Japan
91.7% OF LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
South Korea has 1.09× the aircraft of Japan
Naval Assets
South Korea
Japan
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
South Korea
12.3% OF LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
South Korea
36.2% OF LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Japan
MOST
41
billionaires
South Korea
73% OF MOST
30
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Japan
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
South Korea
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
2.7M b/d
−2.7M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
South Korea
$831.9B
Exports
$831.9B
Imports
$755.5B
Trade Balance
+$76.4B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
Japan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
South Korea
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
South Korea
145
Gold
134
Silver
130
Bronze
409
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 320
❄ Winter: 89
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Japan
South Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
South Korea
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 South Korea
Youth Population
South Korea has the highest youth population at 30.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Japan has the highest elderly population at 34.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Japan
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
193
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
25.1M
|
11.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
29
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
20
|
1
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
26
|
17
|
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
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $9 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $45 | $40 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,000 | $800 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $650 | $500 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $130 | $140 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $35 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $90 | $45 |
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
South Korea
Physicians per 1,000
Japan
South Korea
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
Japan
Diabetes prevalence
South Korea
Japan
Obesity prevalence
South Korea
Japan
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
Japan
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Japan vs South Korea — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 123366734 | 51684564 |
| Area (sq km) | 377975 | 100210 |
| Capital | Tokyo | Seoul |
| Official Language | Japanese | Korean |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 247,150 | 555,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 56,000 | 3,100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 303,150 | 3,655,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $49,100,000,000 | $46,700,000,000 |
| Tanks | 579 | 2,321 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,137 | 3,100 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 166 | 1,836 |
| Towed Artillery | 492 | 1,700 |
| Rocket Projectors | 99 | 600 |
Economy
| Metric | Japan | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $4,435,162,999,977 | $1,872,374,961,553 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $35,951 | $36,227 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.5% | 2.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.3 | 32.9 |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Japan is 3.8 times larger in area than South Korea.
Japan has 2.4 times more people than South Korea.
South Korea has the highest GDP per capita at $36,227 among the selected countries.
Japan has the largest economy with a GDP of
$4.44 trillion.
South Korea has the largest active military personnel with 555,000 troops.
South Korea has the largest air force with 1,581 aircraft.
South Korea has the largest navy with 234 vessels.
Japan vs South Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: Japan's GDP of $4.4T is 2.4x larger than South Korea's $1.9T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Japan's population of 123M is 2.4x larger than South Korea's 52M.
Area: Japan covers 377,975 km², making it 3.8x larger than South Korea.
Military: South Korea fields 560Thousand active troops vs Japan's 250Thousand.
Trade: Japan has a trade deficit of $35B while South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs South Korea's 84.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology