Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Puerto Rico instead of Japan, you would:
Health
be 68.9% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, it is 5.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.1 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 82 years (78 years for men, 85 years for women) as of 2024.
be 7.2 times more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Puerto Rico, that number is 42.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 13.0% more money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Puerto Rico, the GDP per capita is $40,620 as of 2025.
be 2.4 times more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Puerto Rico, that number is 6.0% as of 2025.
Life
be 3.7 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 Puerto Rico, 11.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.4 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 Puerto Rico, on the other hand, 6.0 children do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 27.8% more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Puerto Rico spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Geography
see 98.3% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Puerto Rico, that number is 501 km.
Safety
be 63.4 times more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Puerto Rico, that number is 14.6 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 4.6 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Puerto Rico, they kill 12.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 46.7% less strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Puerto Rico withdraws 20% as of 2022.
find 27.5% less home broadband
Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Puerto Rico has 28.0 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 38.5% less CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Puerto Rico emits 4.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: At a glance
How big is Puerto Rico compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.