🇯🇵 Japan vs 🇰🇷 South Korea

Japan produces $4.4T against Korea's $1.9T, about 2.4 times as much. Divided by population the gap narrows to $35,951 against $36,227, because most of it comes from the number of people (123.4M against 51.7M) rather than from how the two economies work.

Japan vs South Korea GDP

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Share of combined nominal GDP ($6.3T)
Japan
70%
$4.4T
South Korea
30%
$1.9T
GDP per capita across all 53 countries

Log scale · hover a dot to see the country

  • Japan · #20 of 53
  • South Korea · #19 of 53
JapanSouth Korea
Nominal GDP$4,435,162,999,977$1,872,374,961,553
GDP per capita$35,951$36,227

Japan's nominal GDP is $4.4T, about 2.4x of South Korea's ($1.9T).

Japan's GDP per capita is $35,951, about the same level of South Korea's ($36,227).

Japan vs South Korea Population

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Population — figure area is proportional to population
JapanSouth Korea
Population123.4M51.7M

Japan's population is about 123.4M, about 2.4x of South Korea's (51.7M).

The median age is 49.9, 5.4 years above Korea's 44.5. Korea's ageing gets most of the attention, but on this comparison Japan is further along.

Japan vs South Korea Area

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Real borders overlaid at the same scale
  • Japan · 377,930 km²
  • South Korea · 100,210 km²
JapanSouth Korea
Area377,930 km²100,210 km²

Japan is about 3.8x the size of South Korea.

Japan's population density is about 326.4 people/km², about the same level of South Korea's (515.8 people/km²).

Japan vs South Korea Climate

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Japan's capital averages 21.2°C year-round, 3.9°C higher than South Korea's 17.2°C.

Monthly average low–high temperature (capital)
  • Japan
  • South Korea
Monthly precipitation (capital, mm)
123456789101112
Japan1,322 mm/yr
South Korea1,336 mm/yr
Monthly average high temperature
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Japan10°10.7°14.3°19.6°22.7°28.7°33°34.6°30.4°21.4°16.3°12.1°
South Korea1.9°2.1°11.6°17.4°21.6°28.1°32.3°30.9°26.2°19.3°12.1°3.3°

Japan covers 377,930km² at 17.2°C a year; Korea covers 100,210km² at 13°C. The yearly swings are 33.4°C and 38.7°C.

Japan vs South Korea Religion

Japan's largest religious group is Folk religion (48%), compared to South Korea's Unaffiliated (56.1%).

Japan
  • Folk religion48%
  • Buddhism34%
  • Christianity1.5%
  • Unaffiliated16.5%
South Korea
  • Christianity27.6%
  • Buddhism15.5%
  • Unaffiliated56.1%
  • Other0.8%

Japan vs South Korea Languages

Japan's official language is Japanese, compared to South Korea's Korean.

English proficiency
Japan
Very low
Low
Moderate
High
Very high
South Korea
JapanSouth Korea
Official language(s)JapaneseKorean
English proficiencyLowModerate

Japan vs South Korea Travel Info

Japan drives on the left side, while South Korea drives on the right side.

Time zone
Japan: Asia/Tokyo
South Korea: Asia/Seoul
Electricity
Japan: 100V A/B
South Korea: 220V C/F
Calling code
Japan: +81
South Korea: +82
Emergency number
Japan: 110
South Korea: 112

Traffic drives on the other side from Korea. That is the first thing to settle before renting a car, and mains power is 100V on type A, B sockets against Korea's 220V and C, F.

FAQ

Is Japan bigger than South Korea?
Yes — Japan's land area is 377,930 km², about 3.8x of South Korea's 100,210 km².
Is Japan richer than South Korea?
No — Japan's GDP per capita is $35,951, about the same level of South Korea's $36,227.
Does Japan have more people than South Korea?
Yes — Japan's population is about 123.4M, about 2.4x of South Korea's 51.7M.

Japan → South Korea →