Quality of life comparison
If you lived in India instead of Japan, you would:
Health
be 27.9% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In India, it is 12.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 11.8 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In India, that number is 72 years (71 years for men, 74 years for women) as of 2024.
be 35.8% more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In India, that number is 8.0% of people as of 2024.
see 93.5% less spent on your healthcare
Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). India spends $346 as of 2023.
have 72.7% fewer doctors per person
Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. India has 7.2 as of 2020.
have 24.1% less access to essential health services
Japan scores 83 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. India scores 63 as of 2021.
Economy
be 72.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In India, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
be 36.0% more likely to live below the poverty line
In Japan, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In India, however, that number is 21.9% as of 2011.
make 92.5% less money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in India, the GDP per capita is $2,702 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In India, there are 16.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 26.7 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 India, 80.0 women do as of 2023.
be 12.9 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 India, on the other hand, 23.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 18.2% less likely to have internet access
In Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In India, about 70.0% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 68.9% less on healthcare
Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In India, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 22.8% more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. India spends 4.1% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 76.5% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In India, that number is 7,000 km.
Safety
be 12.3 times more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In India, that number is 2.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 5.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In India, they kill 15.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 91.8% less home broadband
Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. India has 3.1 as of 2024.
live with 81.5% more strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. India withdraws 66% as of 2022.
use 84.3% less electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. India uses 1,182 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 72.3% less CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. India emits 2.2 tonnes as of 2024.
be 6.9 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In India, it causes 83.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2011–2013), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. India
India: At a glance
How big is India compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.