Updated
Overview
Japan has 33% more people than Iran: 123.37 million against 92.42 million (2025).
Japan's economy is 12 times the size of Iran's, at $4.44T versus $362.68B.
Per person, Japan is the wealthier of the two: $35,951 against $3,924 in GDP per capita.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Japan | Iran | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $4.44T | $362.68B | 2025 | $4.03T / $436.91B |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $35,951 | $3,924 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | Higher: 1.2% | -2.8% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: 3.2% | 42.2% | 2025 | 2.7% / 32.5% |
| Unemployment | Lower: 2.5% | 8.3% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 65 | — | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | $2,801 | — | 2021 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $1,207 | Higher: $1,264 | 2024 / 2023 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $3.08 | — | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 123.37 million | 92.42 million | 2025 | 123.20 million / 89.18 million |
| Population growth | -0.5% | 0.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 49.8 yrs | 34.0 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.23 | 1.67 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 84.0 yrs | 77.9 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 92% | 77% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | Higher: 86% | 85% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 377,930 km² | 1,648,195 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 326.4/km² | 56.1/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 962 Mt | Lower: 793 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 7.8 t | 8.7 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $55.27B | $7.89B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.4% | 2.0% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 261,000 | 650,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Japan grew while the other economy contracted: 1.2% against -2.8%.
Inflation is a serious concern in Iran at 42.2%, while the other economy sits at 3.2%.
People and society
Iran is the far younger society: median age 34.0 versus 49.8 years.
Life expectancy is 6.2 years longer in Japan (84.0 vs 77.9).
Japan is considerably more urbanized: 92% of people live in cities, against 77%.
Geography
By land area, Japan is 77% smaller than Iran: 377,930 km² versus 1,648,195 km².
Japan is far more densely settled: 326 people per km² against 56.
Military
Japan spends 7.0 times as much on defence as Iran: $55.27B versus $7.89B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Iran fields the larger armed forces: 650,000 personnel against 261,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Japan bigger than Iran?
- Iran is larger by land area. Japan covers 377,930 km² while Iran covers 1,648,195 km², so Iran is 4.4 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Japan or Iran?
- Japan has the larger population: 123.37 million versus 92.42 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Japan richer than Iran?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Japan is richer: $35,951 against $3,924. Total GDP tells the same story: $4.44T for Japan versus $362.68B for Iran.
- Who spends more on their military, Japan or Iran?
- Japan spends more: $55.27B versus $7.89B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).