Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Japan instead of Greenland, you would:

Health

live 13.8 years longer

In Greenland, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 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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be 79.0% less likely to be obese

In Greenland, 28.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Japan, that number is 5.9% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 38.5% less money

Greenland has a GDP per capita of $58,499 as of 2023, while in Japan, the GDP per capita is $35,951 as of 2025.

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Life

be 79.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Greenland, approximately 8.8 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 52.5% fewer children

In Greenland, there are approximately 12.0 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 23.1% more likely to have internet access

In Greenland, approximately 69.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Japan, about 85.5% do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 67.3% less on education

Greenland spends 10.2% 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 32.5% less coastline

Greenland has a total of 44,087 km of coastline. In Japan, that number is 29,751 km.

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Infrastructure

find 20.8% more home broadband

Greenland has 32.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. Japan has 38.6 as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 25.0% less CO2

Greenland emits 10.4 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 (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Greenland vs. Japan

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Japan is 50.5% cheaper than Greenland overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Greenland is about 6 times bigger than Japan.
→
Moving from Greenland to Japan · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

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 Greenland? See an in-depth size comparison.

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