Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Hong Kong instead of Japan, you would:
Health
live 1.3 years longer
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Hong Kong, that number is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024.
Economy
make 58.5% more money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Hong Kong, the GDP per capita is $56,983 as of 2025.
be 14.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Hong Kong, that number is 2.8% as of 2025.
be 23.6% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Japan, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In Hong Kong, however, that number is 19.9% as of 2016.
Life
be 41.7% 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 Hong Kong, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.
have 14.0% fewer children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Hong Kong, there are 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.9% more likely to have internet access
In Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Hong Kong, about 95.8% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 14.1% more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Hong Kong spends 3.8% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 97.5% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Hong Kong, that number is 733 km.
Safety
be 65.2% more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Hong Kong, that number is 0.4 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
use 15.6% less electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 41.3% less CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2013–2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Hong Kong
Hong Kong: At a glance
How big is Hong Kong compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.