Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Sweden instead of Japan, you would:
Health
see 44.8% more spent on your healthcare
Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Sweden spends $7,770 as of 2024.
have 66.4% more doctors per person
Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Sweden has 44.1 as of 2021.
be 20.6% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Sweden, it is 13.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Sweden, that number is 17.5% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 75.6% more money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Sweden, the GDP per capita is $63,133 as of 2025.
be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Sweden, that number is 8.7% as of 2025.
Life
have 63.2% more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Sweden, there are 9.3 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
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 Sweden, 4.0 women do as of 2023.
be 11.1% 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 Sweden, on the other hand, 2.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 12.0% more likely to have internet access
In Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Sweden, about 95.8% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 2.2 times more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Sweden spends 7.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
Geography
see 89.2% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Sweden, that number is 3,218 km.
Safety
be 22.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Sweden, they kill 2.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 5.0 times more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Sweden, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 12.5% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Japan, 83% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In Sweden, that number is 73% as of 2022.
Infrastructure
live with 90.2% less strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Sweden withdraws 4% as of 2022.
use 62.4% more electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Sweden uses 12,226 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 33.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Sweden, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.
emit 54.5% less CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Sweden emits 3.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Sweden
Sweden: At a glance
How big is Sweden compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.