Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Japan, you would:
Health
see 2.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Japan spends $5,365 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 39.0% more doctors per person
Japan has 26.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
be 10.3% less likely to die by suicide
Japan has a suicide rate of 17.4 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 5.2 years less
In Japan, the average life expectancy is 84 years (81 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 6.9 times more likely to be obese
In Japan, 5.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 2.5 times more money
Japan has a GDP per capita of $35,951 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 71.4% more likely to be unemployed
In Japan, 2.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
have 86.0% more children
In Japan, there are approximately 5.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 5.7 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 United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 3.1 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 10.7% more likely to have internet access
In Japan, approximately 85.5% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 62.3% more on education
Japan spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 55.4% more on healthcare
Japan spends 10.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 33.0% less coastline
Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 25.0 times more likely to be murdered
Japan has a homicide rate of 0.2 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 24.5% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Japan, 83% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In United States, that number is 63% as of 2021.
be 5.3 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Japan, road accidents kill 2.7 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 23.1% less strain on fresh water
Japan withdraws 37% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
use 70.5% more electricity
Japan uses 7,530 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 16.7% more likely to die from air pollution
In Japan, air pollution causes 12.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 73.7% more CO2
Japan emits 7.8 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 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. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.