Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Japan instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 1.3 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In Japan, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 12.5% less likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Japan, that number is 2.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 19.1% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Hong Kong, 19.9% live below the poverty line as of 2016. In Japan, however, that number is 16.1% as of 2013.

View global rankings →

make 36.9% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in Japan, the GDP per capita is $35,951 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 29.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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.

View global rankings →

have 16.3% more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Japan, there are 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 10.7% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 95.8% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Japan, about 85.5% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 12.3% less on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. Japan spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 40.6 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In Japan, that number is 29,751 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 39.5% less likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Japan, that number is 0.2 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

use 18.4% more electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Japan uses 7,530 kWh as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 70.4% more CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Japan emits 7.8 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

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

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. Japan

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Japan is 52.5% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 341 times smaller than Japan.
→
Moving from Hong Kong 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.
Read more

How big is Japan compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Japan or Hong Kong. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.