United States vs Japan
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
The United States and Japan represent the world's first and fourth largest economies. Japan's GDP peaked relative to the US in the early 1990s at roughly 70% of American output, but decades of deflation, demographic decline, and stagnant growth have widened the gap. Japan remains a global leader in automotive manufacturing, robotics, and electronics, while the US dominates in technology, financial services, and higher education. Japan's government debt exceeds 250% of GDP — the highest in the developed world — yet it borrows at near-zero interest rates due to domestic savings and central bank policy.
United States has a GDP of $31.82T compared to Japan's $4.46T, making it 7.1x larger. United States's population is 340.1M vs Japan's 124.0M. Across 12 key indicators, United States leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  United States |  Japan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $31.82T✓ | $4.46T |
| GDP per Capita | $92,883✓ | $36,391 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 2.1%✓ | 0.6% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $92,883✓ | $56,444 |
| Population | 340.1M✓ | 124.0M |
| Life Expectancy | 78.4 years | 84.0 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 2.4% | 2.1%✓ |
| Unemployment (%) | 4.1% | 2.6%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 128.7%✓ | 226.8% |
| Fertility Rate | 1.6✓ | 1.2 |
| Gini Index | 41.8 | 32.3✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 13.6 | 7.8✓ |
Summary
United States has a GDP of $31.82T compared to Japan's $4.46T, making the former economy 7.1x larger. In terms of population, United States has 340.1M people while Japan has 124.0M. Across the 12 indicators compared, United States leads in 7 and Japan leads in 5.
United StatesJapan