Land Area
Japan
377,975 km²
Largest
Taiwan
35,980 km²
9.5% of largest
Japan is 10.51× larger than Taiwan
Population
Japan
LARGEST
125.7M
PEOPLE
Taiwan
18.8% OF LARGEST
23.57M
PEOPLE
Japan has 5.33× the population of Taiwan
GDP
Japan
LARGEST
$4.23T
Taiwan
18.6% OF LARGEST
$786.1B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Japan
LARGEST
247.15K
TROOPS
Taiwan
66.0% OF LARGEST
163K
TROOPS
Japan has 1.52× the active personnel of Taiwan
Air Force
Japan
LARGEST
1.45K
AIRCRAFT
Taiwan
57.8% OF LARGEST
837
AIRCRAFT
Japan has 1.73× the aircraft of Taiwan
Naval Assets
Japan
Taiwan
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
846.0
Metric Tonnes
Taiwan
50.1% OF LARGEST
423.9
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Japan
LARGEST
$1.16T
Reserves · excl. gold
Taiwan
$0B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Japan
MOST
41
billionaires
Taiwan
—
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
Trade (Import/Export)
Japan
$917.0B
Exports
$917.0B
Imports
$952.0B
Trade Balance
$-35.0B
Trade Deficit
Taiwan
$482.8B
Exports
$482.8B
Imports
$448.9B
Trade Balance
+$33.9B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Taiwan
Tea
kg / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Taiwan
Beer
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Taiwan
Wine
litres / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Taiwan
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Japan
consumption
Taiwan
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Japan
Taiwan
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
Taiwan
9
Gold
10
Silver
23
Bronze
42
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 42
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Japan
Taiwan
Age Demographics
Median Age
Japan
48.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Taiwan
42.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Japan is 5.8 years older (median) than Taiwan
Youth Population
Taiwan has the highest youth population at 30.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Japan has the highest elderly population at 34.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Japan
|
Taiwan
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
193
|
— |
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
25.1M
|
— |
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
29
|
— |
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
26
|
— |
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Japan
|
Taiwan
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Japan | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 125700000 | 23572049 |
| Area (sq km) | 377975 | 35980 |
| Capital | Tokyo | Taipei |
| Official Language | Japanese | Mandarin Chinese |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Unitary semi-presidential republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Japan | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 247,150 | 163,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 56,000 | 1,657,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 303,150 | 1,820,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $49,100,000,000 | $16,800,000,000 |
| Tanks | 579 | 1,180 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,137 | 3,275 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 166 | 405 |
| Towed Artillery | 492 | 1,180 |
| Rocket Projectors | 99 | 117 |
Economy
| Metric | Japan | Taiwan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $4,231,100,000,000 | $786,100,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $33,660 | $33,330 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.6% | 3.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.9 | 33.6 |
| Currency | Japanese Yen (JPY) | New Taiwan Dollar (TWD) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Japan Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 5.0777 Stronger |
| Taiwan Currency | 0.1969 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | JPY | TWD |
| 1 USD equals | 161.7789 JPY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 31.8604 TWD Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Japan is 10.5 times larger in area than Taiwan.
That's a massive difference!
Japan has 5.3 times more people than Taiwan.
Japan has the highest GDP per capita at $33,660 among the selected countries.
Japan has the largest economy with a GDP of
$4.23 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 Taiwan: Key Comparisons
Economy: Japan's GDP of $4.2T is 5.4x larger than Taiwan's $786B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Japan's population of 126M is 5.3x larger than Taiwan's 24M.
Area: Japan covers 377,975 km², making it 10.5x larger than Taiwan.
Military: Japan fields 250Thousand active troops vs Taiwan's 160Thousand.
Trade: Japan has a trade deficit of $35B while Taiwan runs a trade surplus of $34B.
Life Expectancy: Japan leads with a life expectancy of 85 years vs Taiwan's 81.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology