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

Health

see 35.3% more spent on your healthcare

Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Denmark spends $7,262 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 69.8% more doctors per person

Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Denmark has 45.0 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 40.0% less likely to die by suicide

Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Denmark, it is 10.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

live 1.8 years less

In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Denmark, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.4 times more likely to be obese

In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Denmark, that number is 14.3% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 2.1 times more money

Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Denmark, the GDP per capita is $76,970 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

be 2.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Denmark, that number is 5.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

have 66.7% more children

In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Denmark, there are 9.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 33.3% 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 Denmark, 4.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

be 94.4% 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 Denmark, on the other hand, 3.5 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 16.6% more likely to have internet access

In Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Denmark, about 99.8% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 12.6% less on healthcare

Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Denmark, that number is 9.4% of GDP as of 2024.

View global rankings →

spend 90.4% more on education

Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Denmark spends 6.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 75.4% less coastline

Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Denmark, that number is 7,314 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 14.8% less likely to die in a road accident

In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Denmark, they kill 2.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 3.7 times more likely to be murdered

Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Denmark, that number is 0.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 12.3% more home broadband

Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Denmark has 43.4 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 31.0% less strain on fresh water

Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Denmark withdraws 25% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 18.1% less electricity

Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Denmark uses 6,165 kWh as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 45.4% less CO2

Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Denmark emits 4.3 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this

Denmark: At a glance

Denmark is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 42,434 sq km. Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. It joined NATO in 1949 and the EEC (now the EU) in 1973. However, the country has opted out of certain elements of the European Union's Maastricht Treaty, including the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), European defense cooperation, and issues concerning certain justice and home affairs.
Read more

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

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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