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Comparison · latest available · data as of 26 October 2026 · printed 27 Oct 2026
NationsTree / Compare / Japan vs Türkiye

Japan vs Türkiye

Side-by-side comparison of Japan and Türkiye from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.

Japan

East Asia & Pacific · nation age 1,776 years

NationsTree Index79.36th of 196
Tree height57 m 
vs
26:7
indicators where each ranks higher

Türkiye

Europe & Central Asia · nation age 727 years

NationsTree Index64.747th of 196
Tree height39 m 
Open in the comparison tool Data as of 26 October 2026

In short

Japan scores 79.3 in the NationsTree Index (6th in the world) and Türkiye scores 64.7 (47th), a gap of 14.6 points. Their trees are 57 m and 39 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.

Japan has 44% more people than Türkiye. Türkiye is 2.1 times larger than Japan by land area. The economy of Japan is 76% larger than that of Türkiye (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Japan 123.4 million and Türkiye 85.9 million (2025).

GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $55,422 in Japan and $45,288 in Türkiye (2025, international dollars). People in Japan live on average 6.6 years longer (84.0 vs 77.4 years).

Of 33 indicators reported by both countries, Japan ranks higher in the world on 26 and Türkiye on 7. Japan is clearly stronger in institutions & safety, society & health and environment & energy. Türkiye is clearly stronger in military, tourism and natural resources.

As a nation, Japan is the older of the two (statehood since 250, 1,776 years), compared with Türkiye (since 1299). Over the last five years Türkiye improved faster (direction score 71 vs 40 out of 100).

Where they differ most

The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Japan and Türkiye.

Over time

How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.

NationsTree IndexJapanTürkiye
405060708090100 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2025

Japan has been ahead of Türkiye in the NationsTree Index in every year since 1996.

Japan has been ahead of Türkiye in GDP per person (PPP), GDP (PPP), life expectancy and population in every year since 1990.

Strength by category

Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i

All indicators

Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.

Indicator Japan Türkiye
Land & people
Surface area i km² 377,97563rd/216 · 2024 785,35036th/216 · 2024
Land area i km² 364,50062nd/216 · 2024 769,63036th/216 · 2024
Population i people 123.4 m12th/217 · 2025 85.9 m18th/217 · 2025
Population growth i % -0.49%197th/217 · 2025 0.42%147th/217 · 2025
Population density i people/km² 340.136th/216 · 2024 111.197th/216 · 2024
Urban population i % 92.3%26th/217 · 2025 89.5%32nd/217 · 2025
Population aged 0–14 i % 11.2%215th/217 · 2025 21.0%116th/217 · 2025
Population aged 65+ i % 30.0%2nd/217 · 2025 10.6%94th/217 · 2025
Economy
GDP i USD $4.44 trn4th/210 · 2025 $1.60 trn16th/210 · 2025
GDP (PPP) i intl. USD $6.84 trn5th/199 · 2025 $3.89 trn11th/199 · 2025
Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) i intl. USD 2021 $5.96 trn5th/199 · 2025 $3.20 trn11th/199 · 2025
GDP per person i USD $35,95148th/210 · 2025 $18,59981st/210 · 2025
GDP per person (PPP) i intl. USD $55,42245th/199 · 2025 $45,28858th/199 · 2025
GNI per person (Atlas) i USD $38,34035th/201 · 2025 $16,30075th/201 · 2025
GDP growth i % 1.2%167th/210 · 2025 3.6%94th/210 · 2025
Inflation i % 3.2%90th/180 · 2025 34.9%175th/180 · 2025
Unemployment i % 2.5%24th/187 · 2025 8.5%138th/187 · 2025
Central government debt i % of GDP — 25.5%8th/55 · 2024
General government gross debt i % of GDP 204.8%189th/189 · 2025 23.7%21st/189 · 2025
Government budget balance i % of GDP -0.7%52nd/192 · 2025 -2.8%99th/192 · 2025
Main industries
Agriculture, forestry, fishing i % of GDP 1.0%171st/197 · 2024 5.2%105th/197 · 2025
Industry incl. construction i % of GDP 26.8%71st/200 · 2024 24.0%96th/200 · 2025
Manufacturing i % of GDP 18.8%27th/192 · 2024 16.8%35th/192 · 2024
Services i % of GDP 71.4%30th/200 · 2024 59.4%91st/200 · 2025
Trade
Exports of goods & services i USD $920.96 bn9th/182 · 2024 $396.92 bn26th/182 · 2025
Imports of goods & services i USD $958.38 bn6th/182 · 2024 $400.68 bn23rd/182 · 2025
Exports i % of GDP 22.0%138th/183 · 2024 24.8%125th/183 · 2025
Imports i % of GDP 22.9%157th/183 · 2024 25.1%152nd/183 · 2025
Trade openness i % of GDP 44.9%154th/183 · 2024 49.9%144th/183 · 2025
Fuel exports i % of merchandise exports 1.2%115th/170 · 2025 5.4%72nd/170 · 2025
Manufactures exports i % of merchandise exports 80.6%18th/171 · 2025 74.5%32nd/171 · 2025
Food exports i % of merchandise exports 1.3%161st/171 · 2025 11.8%108th/171 · 2025
Ores & metals exports i % of merchandise exports 3.6%79th/171 · 2025 4.6%66th/171 · 2025
High-tech exports i % of manufactured exports 17.6%42nd/168 · 2024 5.1%100th/168 · 2024
Current account balance i % of GDP 4.9%37th/191 · 2025 -1.9%99th/191 · 2025
Foreign direct investment, inflows i % of GDP 1.0%141st/196 · 2025 0.8%152nd/196 · 2025
Natural resources
Natural resource rents i % of GDP 0.0%163rd/209 · 2021 0.8%121st/209 · 2021
Oil rents i % of GDP 0.00%110th/197 · 2021 0.14%73rd/197 · 2021
Natural gas rents i % of GDP 0.01%83rd/197 · 2021 0.01%85th/197 · 2021
Coal rents i % of GDP 0.00%63rd/195 · 2021 0.05%35th/195 · 2021
Mineral rents i % of GDP 0.01%85th/209 · 2021 0.63%51st/209 · 2021
Forest rents i % of GDP 0.03%138th/209 · 2021 0.00%183rd/209 · 2021
Arable land i % of land area 11.0%96th/206 · 2024 26.3%37th/206 · 2024
Renewable freshwater per person i m³ 3,43777th/183 · 2022 2,67188th/183 · 2022
Tourism
International tourist arrivals i arrivals 4.1 m43rd/194 · 2020 16.0 m15th/194 · 2020
Tourism receipts i USD $11.40 bn16th/175 · 2020 $13.77 bn12th/175 · 2020
Tourism receipts i % of exports 1.4%142nd/168 · 2020 6.6%76th/168 · 2020
Outbound trips i departures 3.2 m37th/107 · 2020 2.2 m48th/107 · 2020
Society & health
Life expectancy i years 84.010th/217 · 2024 77.483rd/217 · 2024
Under-5 mortality i per 1,000 births 2.46th/196 · 2024 9.672nd/196 · 2024
Physicians i per 1,000 people 2.6569th/174 · 2022 2.2479th/174 · 2022
Hospital beds i per 1,000 people 12.62nd/145 · 2022 3.157th/145 · 2023
DPT immunization i % of children 12–23 months 99%1st/193 · 2024 99%1st/193 · 2024
Completed lower secondary, 25+ i % of adults 98.6%14th/153 · 2020 54.3%107th/153 · 2023
Secondary enrolment i % gross 101.5%55th/173 · 2023 118.4%20th/173 · 2023
Social protection coverage (incl. pensions) i % of population — 49.3%31st/55 · 2019
Old-age dependency ratio i % of working-age population 51.0%2nd/217 · 2025 15.5%95th/217 · 2025
Health spending i % of GDP 10.7%20th/193 · 2023 4.3%148th/193 · 2023
Adult literacy i % — 97.3%26th/98 · 2021
Tertiary enrolment i % gross 64.5%56th/150 · 2023 105.9%10th/150 · 2023
Human Development Index i index 0–1 0.92523rd/193 · 2023 0.85351st/193 · 2023
Income inequality (Gini) i index 32.32020 43.797th/108 · 2023
Extreme poverty i % of population 1.2%2020 0.2%18th/108 · 2023
Infrastructure & digital
Access to electricity i % of population 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 100.0%1st/215 · 2024
Safely managed drinking water i % of population 98.7%34th/150 · 2024 —
Safely managed sanitation i % of population 99.2%9th/144 · 2024 78.9%52nd/144 · 2024
Internet users i % of population 85.5%80th/186 · 2024 89.8%58th/186 · 2025
Mobile subscriptions i per 100 people 17812th/210 · 2023 108128th/210 · 2024
Fixed broadband i per 100 people 38.630th/208 · 2023 23.481st/208 · 2024
Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) i score 1–5 4.205th/164 · 2022 3.4042nd/164 · 2022
Rail lines i route-km 20,0872011 10,54617th/82 · 2021
Air passengers carried i passengers 120.3 m6th/161 · 2023 125.9 m5th/161 · 2023
Environment & energy
CO₂ emissions per person i t CO₂e 7.84176th/203 · 2024 5.38156th/203 · 2024
Renewable energy i % of final energy use 8.8%153rd/212 · 2021 12.0%135th/212 · 2021
Air pollution (PM2.5) i µg/m³ 11.557th/200 · 2023 26.4142nd/200 · 2023
Forest area i % of land area 68.3%20th/214 · 2024 29.5%113th/214 · 2024
Energy use per person i kg oil eq. 3,00434th/149 · 2024 1,93659th/149 · 2024
Institutions & safety
Government effectiveness i score 0–100 94.12nd/205 · 2025 52.9106th/205 · 2025
Control of corruption i score 0–100 77.422nd/207 · 2025 37.4135th/207 · 2025
Rule of law i score 0–100 84.017th/207 · 2025 45.2153rd/207 · 2025
Political stability i score 0–100 87.719th/207 · 2025 50.2175th/207 · 2025
Regulatory quality i score 0–100 76.520th/205 · 2025 52.5110th/205 · 2025
Voice & accountability i score 0–100 78.031st/205 · 2025 37.3159th/205 · 2025
Homicide rate i per 100,000 0.25th/145 · 2023 3.284th/145 · 2023
Military
Military expenditure i USD $62.16 bn10th/156 · 2025 $29.99 bn18th/156 · 2025
Military expenditure i % of GDP 1.4%92nd/156 · 2025 1.9%69th/156 · 2025
Military expenditure i % of government spending 3.8%113th/154 · 2025 5.9%63rd/154 · 2025
Armed forces personnel i people 261,00027th/170 · 2020 512,00013th/170 · 2020
Armed forces personnel i % of labour force 0.38%132nd/168 · 2020 1.61%38th/168 · 2020
Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) i TIV 1.7 bn5th/163 · 2025 381.0 m31st/163 · 2025
Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) i TIV 28.0 m40th/65 · 2025 539.0 m11th/65 · 2025
Science & innovation
R&D spending i % of GDP 3.44%6th/110 · 2023 1.42%32nd/110 · 2023
Patent applications by residents i applications 237,1693rd/137 · 2024 10,00410th/137 · 2024
Scientific articles i articles 96,5436th/197 · 2023 50,18016th/197 · 2023

Questions and answers

Which has more people, Japan or Türkiye?

Japan has the larger population: 123.4 m (2025) compared with 85.9 m for Türkiye (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.

Which is bigger by area, Japan or Türkiye?

Türkiye is larger: 785,350 km² (2024) compared with 377,975 km² for Japan (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.

Which economy is larger, Japan or Türkiye?

Japan has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $6.84 trn intl. (2025) compared with $3.89 trn intl. for Türkiye (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.

Which is richer per person, Japan or Türkiye?

Japan has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $55,422 intl. (2025) compared with $45,288 intl. for Türkiye (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.

Where do people live longer, in Japan or Türkiye?

Japan has the higher life expectancy at birth: 84.0 years (2024) compared with 77.4 years for Türkiye (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.

Which spends more on the military, Japan or Türkiye?

Japan spends more on the military: $62.16 bn (2025) compared with $29.99 bn for Türkiye (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.

Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Japan or Türkiye?

Japan: 79.3 points (6th in the world); Türkiye: 64.7 points (47th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.

More comparisons

Sources

World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.

Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Japan vs Türkiye — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/japan-vs-turkiye. Data as of 26 October 2026.

Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Japan vs Türkiye — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/japan-vs-turkiye. Data as of 26 October 2026.
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