Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Portugal instead of Japan, you would:
Health
have 2.2 times more doctors per person
Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Portugal has 58.5 as of 2022.
be 33.9% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Portugal, it is 11.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 1.7 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 82 years (80 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Portugal, that number is 18.1% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 2.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Portugal, that number is 6.2% as of 2025.
make 10.8% less money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Portugal, the GDP per capita is $32,082 as of 2025.
Life
have 38.6% more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Portugal, there are 7.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.0 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 Portugal, 15.0 women do as of 2023.
be 50.0% 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 Portugal, on the other hand, 2.7 children do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 36.2% more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Portugal spends 4.5% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 94.0% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Portugal, that number is 1,793 km.
Safety
be 3.1 times more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Portugal, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
be 2.7 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Portugal, they kill 7.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 17.1% more home broadband
Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Portugal has 45.2 as of 2024.
live with 66.4% less strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Portugal withdraws 12% as of 2022.
use 29.7% less electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Portugal uses 5,294 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 16.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Portugal, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.
emit 57.7% less CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Portugal emits 3.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Portugal
Portugal: At a glance
How big is Portugal compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.