China's economy is approximately 4x larger than Japan's by nominal GDP ($17.9 trillion vs $4.2 trillion in 2026), but Japan maintains higher per capita income ($32,500 vs $12,700) and technological advancement in manufacturing and robotics.
Japan vs China Economy 2026 — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Advanced, mature economy with world-leading technology sector and low unemployment.
World's second-largest economy ($17.9T GDP) dominated by manufacturing, export-driven growth, and state-directed investment.
Nominal GDP 2026. GDP Per Capita. Population. Average Annual Growth Rate (2020-2026). Unemployment Rate 2026. Foreign Direct Investment Inflows 2025. Debt-to-GDP Ratio
Choose China if evaluating raw economic size, growth trajectory, and manufacturing capacity for scale operations. Choose Japan if prioritizing economic stability, per capita wealth, technological innovation in robotics/semiconductors, and lower unemployment. China offers growth potential; Japan offers economic resilience and quality of life.
Japan Economy: $4.2 trillion | China Economy: $18.7 trillion
Japan Economy: 1.2% | China Economy: 4.8%
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (Annual)
Japan Economy: $13.2 billion | China Economy: $163.5 billion
Japan Economy: 123.3 million | China Economy: 1,425 million
Japan Economy: 49 years | China Economy: 39 years
Japan Economy: 20% (high-tech focused) | China Economy: 28% (diversified)
Japan Economy: 2.5% | China Economy: 5.3%
Japan Economy: $4.2 trillion | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: $31,546 | China Economy: $12,720
Japan Economy: 124 million | China Economy: 1,420 million
Japan Economy: 2.6% | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: 19.3% | China Economy: 27%
Japan Economy: 2.5% | China Economy: 5.1%
Japan Economy: 3.9% | China Economy: 14.3%
Japan Economy: 48.7 years | China Economy: 38.8 years
Japan Economy: $1,300 billion | China Economy: $3,200 billion
Japan Economy: 125 million | China Economy: 1,420 million
Japan Economy: $32,100 | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: 2.5% | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: 264% | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: $39,200 | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: 123 million | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: $4.2 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
Japan Economy: 1.2% | China Economy: 5.0%
Japan Economy: +$229B | China Economy: +$821 billion surplus
Japan Economy: 2.8% | China Economy: 0.2%
Japan Economy: 264% | China Economy: 77%
Japan Economy: $925 billion | China Economy: $3.6 trillion
Japan Economy: $5.2 trillion | China Economy: $11.8 trillion
Japan Economy: 1.4% | China Economy: 5.0%
Japan Economy: $26 billion | China Economy: $189 billion
Japan Economy: 310,000 | China Economy: 1,750,000
Japan Economy: 4th largest exporter | China Economy: 2nd largest exporter (after USA)
Japan Economy: 7.2% | China Economy: 28%
Japan Economy: 18.9% | China Economy: 29.4%
Japan Economy: 1.2% | China Economy: N/A
Japan Economy: $39,285 | China Economy: $12,720
Japan Economy: $824 billion | China Economy: $3.6 trillion
Japan Economy: $32,500 | China Economy: $12,700
Japan Economy: 1.8% | China Economy: 5.2%
Japan Economy: 2.4% | China Economy: 5.1%
Japan Economy: $136 billion | China Economy: $189 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.2%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,800
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $220 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.0%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $13,500
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~80%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: Limited by US export controls, advancing in AI adoption
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: -0.5 to -2%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.5-5.0%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $296.5 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $620.1 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.5-2.0%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: Restricted to 7nm+ (export controls)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,700
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $620 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $525
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $17.9
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: -0.5 to -2.0%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: Limited by US export controls
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.6-4.8%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: €296.5 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: €467
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 80%+
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~5.2%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $5,708.7
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $296.5
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $680 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.2-0.3%
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 28.3%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $400-800B
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.7%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $400-800B reduction
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production Share
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.5-2.0pp
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $45.78 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 6.0%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~5.5%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: EV manufacturing, 5G, solar, semiconductors
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $16,800 (119,800 yuan)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $14,874
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $11.1 trillion behind
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 6.1%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~16-17% of global GDP
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.9% CPI
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.1%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 3-4%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: Data not available
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $14,800+
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 36% smaller than US
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $189 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $17.9T
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.2%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,500
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.4T
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 5.3%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $4.8T (Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan weighted total)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 37.4 years (projected 53 by 2050)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.6 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 282%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $652 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$631 billion (surplus)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 142 companies
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.8 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $10.8 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 28.4%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 54.8%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $163 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $22.8 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$632 billion (surplus)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,480 GW
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $11,500
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $28.3 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 14.8%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,542,000
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $189B
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $35.5 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 687,231
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $15.2 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $6.8 trillion
Tech Sector Market Capitalization (Top 7 Companies)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $2.8 trillion
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2010-2023)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 6.8%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $31.6 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 16% of world GDP
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $696 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $4.2 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 920 million
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,820,000
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.2%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.2 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $28.7 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,720
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,200,000
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $38,000
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 12.4%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $36.1 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 8.7%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.6T
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 8-10%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 30 million
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $8.1 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 38.4 years
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $24 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $1,540 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12.3 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 20.6%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2.1%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $28.7T
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $163B
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $90 billion
Annual GDP Growth Rate (2020-2026 Average)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 14.2%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 142,000
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2.4%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1.59 million
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 15.8%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $369 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $1,230 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $35.4T
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 29.2%
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (2024)
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2.89%
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $36.7 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $1.6 trillion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: $139 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1.4 billion
Japan Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.8%
How to choose between Japan Economy and China Economy
Japan vs China Economy 2026 — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Japan vs China Economy 2026. Contains 250 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Japan vs China Economy 2026 — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Japan vs China Economy 2026.
Why is China's economy larger than Japan's despite lower per capita income?
China has 11.4x Japan's population (1.42 billion vs 125 million). While individual wealth is lower, the sheer population multiplied by GDP per capita creates a much larger total economy. China's $17.9 trillion nominal GDP = $12,700 per capita × 1.42 billion people, versus Japan's $4.2 trillion = $32,500 × 125 million.
Which economy is growing faster and why?
China grows at 5.2% annually (2020-2026) versus Japan's 1.8%, a 2.9x difference. China's faster growth stems from: rapid urbanization, expanding middle class, massive infrastructure investment in EV/renewables, and emerging technological sectors. Japan's slower growth reflects aging population, mature market saturation, and demographic decline (-0.4% population growth).
Is China's economy financially stable given its debt levels?
China's 77% debt-to-GDP ratio is lower than Japan's 264%, suggesting better fiscal position. However, China's debt is rising rapidly (13% annual increase 2022-2026) and concentrated in local governments and state enterprises, creating hidden risks. Japan's high debt is offset by domestic savings (127% of GDP held domestically) and stable investor confidence. Both have different risk profiles.
Which country is better for foreign investment?
China attracted $189 billion in FDI (2025) versus Japan's $136 billion. China offers higher growth rates and larger market access but faces regulatory risks and trade tensions. Japan offers stability, mature markets, and sector-specific expertise (semiconductors, robotics). Choice depends on investment horizon: China for growth, Japan for stability.
How does unemployment differ and what does it indicate?
Japan's 2.4% unemployment (near full employment) reflects a tight labor market, aging workforce, and strong job security. China's 5.1% indicates ongoing labor transitions from agriculture to services, rural-to-urban migration friction, and emerging unemployment in older industrial sectors. Japan has better labor market health; China has structural adjustment challenges.
How to Choose Between Japan Economy and China Economy
Nominal GDP 2026: Japan Economy has $4.2 trillion, while China Economy has $17.9 trillion.
GDP Per Capita: Japan Economy has $32,500, while China Economy has $12,700.
Population: Japan Economy has 125 million, while China Economy has 1.42 billion.
Consider: Average Annual Growth Rate (2020-2026)
Average Annual Growth Rate (2020-2026): Japan Economy has 1.8%, while China Economy has 5.2%.
Unemployment Rate 2026: Japan Economy has 2.4%, while China Economy has 5.1%.
Consider: Foreign Direct Investment Inflows 2025
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows 2025: Japan Economy has $136 billion, while China Economy has $189 billion.
Debt-to-GDP Ratio: Japan Economy has 264%, while China Economy has 77%.