Japan vs India
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Japan and India represent aging wealth versus youthful growth. Japan's economy was built during the postwar miracle of 1950-1990 and has since stagnated, while India is in the early stages of its own transformation. India's population (1.4 billion) dwarfs Japan's (125 million), but Japan's GDP per capita is roughly 30 times higher. Japan is one of India's largest foreign investors and development aid donors, and the two countries have deepened strategic ties as a counterweight to China. India's IT services sector exports heavily to Japan, and Japanese companies like Suzuki dominate India's automotive market.
Japan has a GDP of $4.38T compared to India's $4.15T, making it 1.1x larger. Japan's population is 123.4M vs India's 1.46B. Across 12 key indicators, both countries are evenly matched in categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Japan |  India |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $4.38T✓ | $4.15T |
| GDP per Capita | $35,703✓ | $2,813 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.7% | 6.5%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $59,207✓ | $12,801 |
| Population | 123.4M | 1.46B✓ |
| Life Expectancy | 84.0 years✓ | 72.2 years |
| Inflation (%) | 2.2%✓ | 4.7% |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.5%✓ | 4.9% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 204.4% | 83.4%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.1 | 2✓ |
| Gini Index | 32.3 | 25.5✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 7.8 | 2.2✓ |
Summary
Japan has a GDP of $4.38T compared to India's $4.15T, making the former economy 1.1x larger. In terms of population, Japan has 123.4M people while India has 1.46B. Across the 12 indicators compared, Japan leads in 6 and India leads in 6.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | Japan | India |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $4.38T2026 | $4.15T2026 |
| World Bank | $4.44T2025 | $3.96T2025 |
| United Nations | $4.03T2024 | $3.95T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Japan spans about 10% across 1 year; India spans about 5% across 2 years.
| Source | Japan | India |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $35,7032026 | $2,8132026 |
| World Bank | $35,9512025 | $2,7022025 |
| United Nations | $32,5342024 | $2,7242024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. Japan spans about 11% across 1 year; India spans about 4% across 1 year.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.