Updated
Overview
Japan has 11 times the population of Portugal: 123.37 million people against 10.80 million (2025).
Japan's economy is 13 times the size of Portugal's, at $4.44T versus $346.64B.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | Japan | Portugal | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $4.44T | $346.64B | 2025 | $4.03T / $308.68B |
| GDP per capita | Higher: $35,951 | $32,082 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 1.2% | Higher: 1.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | 3.2% | Lower: 2.3% | 2025 | 2.7% / 2.4% |
| Unemployment | Lower: 2.5% | 6.2% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 65 | 60 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | Higher: $2,801 | $1,426 | 2021 / 2025 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | Higher: $1,207 | $1,147 | 2024 / 2025 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | $3.08 | — | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 123.37 million | 10.80 million | 2025 | 123.20 million / 10.19 million |
| Population growth | -0.5% | 1.0% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 49.8 yrs | 46.9 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.23 | 1.52 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 84.0 yrs | 82.4 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 92% | 61% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 86% | Higher: 88% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 377,930 km² | 92,090 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 326.4/km² | 117.3/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | 962 Mt | Lower: 36 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | 7.8 t | Lower: 3.4 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $55.27B | $4.64B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 1.4% | 1.5% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 261,000 | 52,000 | 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
Portugal is growing faster: 1.9% annual GDP growth versus 1.2%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 3.2% in Japan and 2.3% in Portugal.
Average monthly earnings favour Japan: $2,801 against $1,426 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Portugal is the younger society: median age 46.9 versus 49.8 years.
Life expectancy is 1.7 years longer in Japan (84.0 vs 82.4).
Japan is considerably more urbanized: 92% of people live in cities, against 61%.
Geography
By land area, Japan is 4.1 times the size of Portugal: 377,930 km² versus 92,090 km².
Japan is far more densely settled: 326 people per km² against 117.
Military
Japan spends 12 times as much on defence as Portugal: $55.27B versus $4.64B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
Japan fields the larger armed forces: 261,000 personnel against 52,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is Japan bigger than Portugal?
- Japan is larger by land area. Japan covers 377,930 km² while Portugal covers 92,090 km², so Japan is 4.1 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, Japan or Portugal?
- Japan has the larger population: 123.37 million versus 10.80 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is Japan richer than Portugal?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Japan is richer: $35,951 against $32,082. Total GDP tells the same story: $4.44T for Japan versus $346.64B for Portugal.
- Who spends more on their military, Japan or Portugal?
- Japan spends more: $55.27B versus $4.64B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).