Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Turkmenistan instead of Japan, you would:
Health
be 60.8% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, it is 6.8 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 13.8 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 76.4% less spent on your healthcare
Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Turkmenistan spends $1,264 as of 2023.
have 27.1% fewer doctors per person
Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Turkmenistan has 19.3 as of 2023.
Economy
be 98.8% less likely to live below the poverty line
In Japan, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In Turkmenistan, however, that number is 0.2% as of 2012.
be 74.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Turkmenistan, that number is 4.3% as of 2025.
make 81.8% less money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in Turkmenistan, the GDP per capita is $6,540 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.7 times more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, there are 20.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 66.7% 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 Turkmenistan, 5.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.9 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 Turkmenistan, on the other hand, 30.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 70.4% less likely to have internet access
In Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Turkmenistan, about 25.3% do as of 2022.
Expenditures
spend 48.8% less on healthcare
Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Turkmenistan, that number is 5.5% of GDP as of 2023.
spend 28.4% more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. Turkmenistan spends 4.3% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
Safety
be 3.0 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Turkmenistan, they kill 8.0 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 86.5% less home broadband
Japan has 38.6 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Turkmenistan has 5.2 as of 2022.
live with 3.7 times more strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Turkmenistan withdraws 135% as of 2022.
use 63.1% less electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 7.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Turkmenistan, it causes 87.0 as of 2019.
emit 38.5% more CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Turkmenistan emits 10.9 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2012–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: Japan vs. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan: At a glance
How big is Turkmenistan compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.