The United States has a larger economy ($27.4 trillion GDP vs Japan's $4.2 trillion) and military presence, while Japan leads in life expectancy (84.5 years vs 78.9 years) and has significantly lower crime rates with 0.3 homicides per 100,000 vs 6.3 in the US.
Japan vs United States — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Federal republic with the world's largest economy and military superpower status.
Insular island nation with the world's third-largest economy and leading quality of life metrics.
GDP (Nominal). Life Expectancy at Birth. Homicide Rate per 100,000. Population. Literacy Rate. Healthcare Expenditure per Capita. Unemployment Rate
Choose the United States for economic scale, military dominance, and diverse opportunities across multiple sectors; it's ideal for those seeking entrepreneurial ventures and higher salaries in competitive markets. Choose Japan for superior healthcare outcomes, personal safety, social stability, and work-life balance; it's ideal for those prioritizing longevity, community trust, and sustainable living standards with lower crime and excellent public services.
United States of America: $28.7 trillion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $31.82 trillion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 22.73% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 6.31x higher | Japan: N/A
United States of America: Emerging leader, <30% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: ~15% | Japan: N/A
Combined Global Economic Share (Nominal)
United States of America: 42.46% (combined US-China) | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $89,000+ | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 23.6% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 18% | Japan: N/A
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
United States of America: 6% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 2.5% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: €10,266.8B | Japan: N/A
United States of America: €925,796.8M | Japan: N/A
United States of America: €3,981 | Japan: €1,047
United States of America: 20% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $27.6 trillion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $821 billion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 57 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 6,300 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: Advanced semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, defense tech | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $15.29 trillion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $94,800 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 2.0-2.5% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: ~18% | Japan: 7%
United States of America: $30.1 trillion | Japan: $4.2 trillion
United States of America: 2.0–2.5% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: <5% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 4.5% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $76,398 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 16% | Japan: 3-4%
United States of America: $2.9T | Japan: $750 billion
United States of America: $820 billion | Japan: ~$45 billion
United States of America: 3.4% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 743 km | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 9.8 million km² | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 36 people/sq mi | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $12,914 per capita | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 4.7 per 100k | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 0.41 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 1,290 thousand | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 1,770 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 27 universities | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $384 billion (2023) | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $27.3 trillion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 614,000 | Japan: 289 thousand
United States of America: 707 GW | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 4.7 physicians | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $27.36 trillion | Japan: $4.2 trillion
United States of America: $76,398 | Japan: $33,809
United States of America: $820 billion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 371.8 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $27.4 trillion | Japan: $4.2 trillion
United States of America: 6.3 | Japan: 0.3
United States of America: $11,945 | Japan: $4,849
United States of America: 2.1 billion | Japan: 9.8 billion
United States of America: 79.3 million | Japan: 17.9 million
United States of America: 16% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 735 km | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 61% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 335 million | Japan: 125 million
United States of America: 78.4 years | Japan: 84.3 years
United States of America: 5.0 billion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $2.1 trillion | Japan: 19%
United States of America: 312 million | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $28.5T | Japan: N/A
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2024-2026)
United States of America: 2.25% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $84,000 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 206M | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 1st | Japan: N/A
United States of America: AI, semiconductors, cloud computing | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 82% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $27.4 trillion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 814,340 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 8.5% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 16% of global | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 635,000 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 2.1% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 26.3% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $285 billion | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 59% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 128% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 78.9 years | Japan: 84.5 years
United States of America: 99.0% | Japan: 99.8%
United States of America: $11,945 | Japan: $4,792
United States of America: 4.1% | Japan: 2.5%
United States of America: $74,580 | Japan: $45,000
United States of America: $820B | Japan: $47 billion
United States of America: 91% | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $0.13 trillion | Japan: $1.3 trillion
United States of America: $27.4T | Japan: N/A
United States of America: 0.921 | Japan: 0.920 (Very High)
United States of America: 605,000 | Japan: N/A
United States of America: $848 billion | Japan: 3.6%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: $4.2 Trillion
United States of America: N/A | Japan: $4.2
United States of America: N/A | Japan: €50.9 billion
United States of America: N/A | Japan: $383,823M
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 1.14%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: ~15%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 47.5
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 6 pathways
United States of America: N/A | Japan: Rank 14
United States of America: N/A | Japan: Lower ranking
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 28.8%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: Baseline (0%)
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 281,113
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 264%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 20.1%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 2.5%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: $28 billion
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 3rd
United States of America: N/A | Japan: -0.5%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 25.6 Mbps
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 96.3%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 11.4 million
OLED Display Global Market Share (Leading Company)
United States of America: N/A | Japan: Samsung 49%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 515 robots per 10k workers
United States of America: N/A | Japan: $47,825
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 286 thousand
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 29.1%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: $4.23 trillion
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 49.0 years
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 9.2 million
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 1.2%
United States of America: N/A | Japan: 9%
How to choose between United States of America and Japan
Compare United States of America vs Japan
Japan vs United States — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Japan vs United States. Contains 137 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Japan vs United States — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Japan vs United States.
Why does the US spend more on healthcare per capita but have lower life expectancy?
The US spends $11,945 per capita annually but has structural inefficiencies: administrative overhead consumes 25% of healthcare spending, medication prices are 2-3x higher than other developed nations, and 27 million Americans lack insurance. Japan achieves superior outcomes at $4,792 per capita through universal coverage, preventive care focus, and centralized pricing. The US also has higher obesity rates (36% vs 4%) and lifestyle-related diseases, which increase treatment costs.
What makes Japan so much safer than the United States?
Japan's 0.3 homicide rate vs US's 6.3 stems from multiple factors: strict gun control laws (handgun ownership requires 8+ years of training and licensing), strong community policing with neighborhood watch groups, cultural emphasis on social harmony, mandatory firearm training costs $300-500, and comprehensive background checks. The US has 393 million civilian guns (1.2 per person) compared to Japan's 0.3 million for 125 million people, creating vastly different risk profiles.
How does Japan manage an aging population crisis?
Japan has 29% population over 65 (US has 17%) due to a 1.20 fertility rate. Japan addresses this through: mandatory long-term care insurance (launched 2000), encouraging immigration of skilled workers, robotic care technology investments, raising the retirement age to 65, and promoting 'active aging' employment programs. Healthcare costs for elderly citizens are capped at 10% of income. However, this still creates fiscal pressure, with Japan's debt-to-GDP ratio at 264% (US: 123%).
Why is the US economy so much larger despite having only 2.7x the population?
The US GDP per capita is $81,695 vs Japan's $33,600—a 2.4x difference. This stems from: higher productivity (US workers produce more per hour through technology adoption), larger service sector (finance, tech, entertainment), venture capital dominance ($273 billion invested annually vs Japan's $35 billion), and wage disparities. Japan prioritizes employment stability over salary growth, while the US rewards entrepreneurship and competitive markets. The US dollar's role as global reserve currency also boosts reported GDP.
Which country has better education outcomes?
Both countries excel with 99%+ literacy, but differ in approach: Japan ranks #1 in PISA testing (math/reading/science), emphasizes collective responsibility and rote mastery, with zero student debt culture. The US ranks #12-15 in PISA but leads in innovation and critical thinking, though 43 million citizens carry $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. Japan spends $11,000 per student annually; the US spends $15,500 but with massive inequality between wealthy and poor districts.
How to Choose Between United States of America and Japan
GDP (Nominal): United States of America has $27.4 trillion, while Japan has $4.2 trillion.
Life Expectancy at Birth: United States of America has 78.9 years, while Japan has 84.5 years.
Homicide Rate per 100,000: United States of America has 6.3, while Japan has 0.3.
Population: United States of America has 335 million, while Japan has 125 million.
Literacy Rate: United States of America has 99.0%, while Japan has 99.8%.
Consider: Healthcare Expenditure per Capita
Healthcare Expenditure per Capita: United States of America has $11,945 USD, while Japan has $4,792 USD.
Unemployment Rate: United States of America has 4.1%, while Japan has 2.5%.