Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Colombia instead of Japan, you would:
Health
be 71.5% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Colombia, it is 5.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 6.1 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.2 times more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Colombia, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2024.
see 67.2% less spent on your healthcare
Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Colombia spends $1,758 as of 2024.
Economy
be 3.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Colombia, that number is 8.3% as of 2025.
make 76.2% less money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Colombia, the GDP per capita is $8,562 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.3 times more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Colombia, there are 13.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 19.7 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Japan, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Colombia, 59.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.8 times more likely to die during infancy
In Japan, approximately 1.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Colombia, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 24.2% less on healthcare
Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 8.1% of GDP as of 2024.
spend 57.5% more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Colombia spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2020.
Geography
see 89.2% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Colombia, that number is 3,208 km.
Safety
be 108.3 times more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Colombia, that number is 24.9 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 39.1% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Japan, 83% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Colombia, that number is 51% as of 2022.
be 6.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Colombia, they kill 16.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 90.1% less strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Colombia withdraws 4% as of 2022.
find 55.4% less home broadband
Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Colombia has 17.2 as of 2024.
use 79.4% less electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Colombia uses 1,551 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
emit 77.0% less CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Colombia emits 1.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 100.0% more likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Colombia, it causes 24.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Colombia
Colombia: At a glance
How big is Colombia compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.