Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Japan instead of Faroe Islands, you would:

Health

live 1.0 years longer

In Faroe Islands, the average life expectancy is 83 years (81 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024. In Japan, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 61.0% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Faroe Islands, 10.0% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In Japan, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2013.

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make 51.5% less money

Faroe Islands has a GDP per capita of $74,175 as of 2024, while in Japan, the GDP per capita is $35,951 as of 2025.

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Life

be 69.9% less likely to die during infancy

In Faroe Islands, approximately 6.0 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Japan, on the other hand, 1.8 children do as of 2024.

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have 47.2% fewer children

In Faroe Islands, there are approximately 10.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Japan, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 12.4% less likely to have internet access

In Faroe Islands, approximately 97.6% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Japan, about 85.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 56.1% less on education

Faroe Islands spends 7.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. Japan spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 26.6 times more coastline

Faroe Islands has a total of 1,117 km of coastline. In Japan, that number is 29,751 km.

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Infrastructure

find 11.7% more home broadband

Faroe Islands has 34.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Japan has 38.6 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 196.0 times more CO2

Faroe Islands emits 0.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Japan emits 7.8 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2013–2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Faroe Islands vs. Japan

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Japan is 44.8% cheaper than Faroe Islands overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Faroe Islands is about 271 times smaller than Japan.
→
Moving from Faroe Islands to Japan · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Japan: At a glance

Japan is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 364,485 sq km. In 1603, after decades of civil warfare, the Tokugawa shogunate (a military-led, dynastic government) ushered in a long period of relative political stability and isolation from foreign influence. For more than two centuries this policy enabled Japan to enjoy a flowering of its indigenous culture. Japan opened its ports after signing the Treaty of Kanagawa with the US in 1854 and began to intensively modernize and industrialize. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Japan became a regional power that was able to defeat the forces of both China and Russia. It occupied Korea, Formosa (Taiwan), and southern Sakhalin Island. In 1931-32 Japan occupied Manchuria, and in 1937 it launched a full-scale invasion of China. Japan attacked US forces in 1941 - triggering America's entry into World War II - and soon occupied much of East and Southeast Asia. After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an economic power and an ally of the US. While the emperor retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, elected politicians hold actual decision-making power. Following three decades of unprecedented growth, Japan's economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the 1990s, but the country remains a major economic power. In March 2011, Japan's strongest-ever earthquake, and an accompanying tsunami, devastated the northeast part of Honshu island, killing thousands and damaging several nuclear power plants. The catastrophe hobbled the country's economy and its energy infrastructure, and tested its ability to deal with humanitarian disasters.
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How big is Japan compared to Faroe Islands? See an in-depth size comparison.

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