Japan vs Korea, Rep.
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
Japan and South Korea share remarkable economic parallels: both are highly developed East Asian economies built on export-oriented manufacturing, with strong automotive and electronics sectors. Japan's economy is roughly three times larger, but South Korea has grown much faster over the past three decades, narrowing the per-capita income gap significantly. South Korea now leads in semiconductor manufacturing (Samsung, SK Hynix) and has a younger population, while Japan has deeper capital markets and more diversified industrial conglomerates. Both countries face severe demographic headwinds — South Korea's fertility rate (below 0.8) is now lower than Japan's.
Japan has a GDP of $4.38T compared to Korea, Rep.'s $1.93T, making it 2.3x larger. Japan's population is 123.4M vs Korea, Rep.'s 51.7M. Across 12 key indicators, Japan leads in 8 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  Japan |  Korea, Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $4.38T✓ | $1.93T |
| GDP per Capita | $35,703 | $37,412✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.7% | 1.9%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $59,207 | $68,624✓ |
| Population | 123.4M✓ | 51.7M |
| Life Expectancy | 84.0 years✓ | 83.6 years |
| Inflation (%) | 2.2%✓ | 2.5% |
| Unemployment (%) | 2.5%✓ | 2.8% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 204.4% | 54.4%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.1✓ | 0.7 |
| Gini Index | 32.3✓ | 32.9 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 7.8✓ | 11.4 |
Summary
Japan has a GDP of $4.38T compared to Korea, Rep.'s $1.93T, making the former economy 2.3x larger. In terms of population, Japan has 123.4M people while Korea, Rep. has 51.7M. Across the 12 indicators compared, Japan leads in 8 and Korea, Rep. leads in 4.
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 | Korea, Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $4.38T2026 | $1.93T2026 |
| World Bank | $4.44T2025 | $1.87T2025 |
| United Nations | $4.03T2024 | $1.88T2024 |
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; Korea, Rep. spans about 3% across 1 year.
| Source | Japan | Korea, Rep. |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $35,7032026 | $37,4122026 |
| World Bank | $35,9512025 | $36,2272025 |
| United Nations | $32,5342024 | $36,2622024 |
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; Korea, Rep. spans about 3% 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.
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