China is the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP ($17.9 trillion vs Japan's $4.2 trillion) with 3.6x larger population, while Japan leads in per capita GDP ($39,285 vs $12,720), technological innovation, and quality of life metrics. China dominates manufacturing and export volume; Japan excels in precision engineering, robotics, and consumer electronics.
Japan vs China — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
China wins for economic scale, manufacturing dominance, and global trade influence with a GDP 4.3x larger and 1.3 billion more people. Japan wins for quality of life, technological precision, innovation in robotics/semiconductors, and per capita prosperity. Choose China for understanding the world's largest manufacturing economy and emerging superpower; choose Japan for studying advanced technology adoption, demographic challenges, and high-income development models.
Island nation with the world's third-largest economy, known for precision manufacturing, robotics, and traditional culture.
Upper-middle-income nation with world's 2nd-largest economy and dominant manufacturing base
Structured comparison data for Japan vs China with 220 attributes.
OLED Display Global Market Share (Leading Company)
Industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
Government Education Expenditure Per Capita
Years to Double GDP at Current Growth Rate
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (2025)
Annual GDP Per Capita Growth (2020-2026)
Years to Double Per Capita GDP at Current Growth
Japan vs China — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Japan vs China.
No. China's nominal GDP (~$17.7 trillion in 2024) is approximately four times larger than Japan's (~$4.2 trillion). However, Japan's GDP per capita is about $33,000 vs China's approximately $12,500, reflecting Japan's status as a mature developed economy. Japan is the world's third-largest economy.
No. Japan and China have a complex, often tense relationship shaped by the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), territorial disputes (Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands), and competing regional ambitions. They are also each other's major trading partners. Japan is a US treaty ally; China considers this alliance a security concern.
Which country has a stronger military — Japan or China?
China has a significantly stronger and larger military. China's active forces number approximately 2 million; Japan's Self-Defense Forces number approximately 230,000. However, Japan is rapidly increasing defense spending toward 2% of GDP, and the US-Japan Security Treaty means US forces augment Japan's defense.
China has approximately 1.4 billion people; Japan has approximately 125 million — China's population is roughly 11 times larger. Japan's population is declining and aging rapidly; China's population has also begun to decline due to the legacy of the one-child policy.
How do Japanese and Chinese cultures differ?
While Japan historically absorbed Chinese cultural influences (kanji, Buddhism, Confucianism), the two cultures have distinct identities. Japanese culture is often characterized by precision, restraint, and craft (wabi-sabi, kaizen). Chinese culture spans one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations with distinct regional variations, Taoist and Confucian traditions, and one of the world's most influential culinary traditions.