Country comparison
Japan
Asia · JPY
China
Asia · CNY
Side-by-side levels, gaps, and history — no winner badges.
Key takeaways
- China has the larger nominal GDP in this set (18.50 vs 4.00 USD tn) — Japan is about 22% of that level.
- On latest GDP growth, China prints 4.8% vs 0.8% for Japan.
- GDP per capita is higher in Japan than China (33,000 vs 13,100 USD).
- China has the larger population versus Japan in this snapshot.
- Consumer inflation runs higher in Japan (2.6%) than China (0.6%).
- Government debt / GDP is 255% in Japan vs 88% in China.
- Figures are illustrative MVP snapshots with source metadata — not a scoreboard. Open any metric for a focused historical chart.
At a glance
| Metric | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇨🇳 China | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | $4.00 tn | $18.50 tn | $-14.50 tn |
| GDP Growth | 0.8% | 4.8% | -4.0% |
| GDP / Capita | $33,000 | $13,100 | $19,900 |
| Population | 123.5M | 1410.0M | -1286.5M |
| Inflation | 2.6% | 0.6% | 2.0% |
| Unemployment | 2.5% | 5.1% | -2.6% |
| Interest Rate | 0.5% | 3.1% | -2.6% |
| Gov. Debt | 255.0% of GDP | 88.0% of GDP | 167.0% of GDP |
| FX Reserves | $1250 bn | $3300 bn | $-2050 bn |
| Gold Reserves | 846 t | 2,264 t | -1,418 t |
Economy
Gross Domestic Product
Nominal GDP in current US dollars — the broadest measure of economic output.
Japan
$4.00 tn
China
$18.50 tn
Gap (A − B)
$-14.50 tn
-78.4% vs B
GDP Growth
Annual real GDP growth rate.
Japan
0.8%
China
4.8%
Gap (A − B)
-4.0%
-83.3% vs B
GDP Per Capita
Nominal GDP divided by mid-year population.
Japan
$33,000
China
$13,100
Gap (A − B)
$19,900
+151.9% vs B
Population
Population
Total mid-year population.
Japan
123.5M
China
1410.0M
Gap (A − B)
-1286.5M
-91.2% vs B
Employment
Unemployment Rate
Share of the labour force that is unemployed.
Japan
2.5%
China
5.1%
Gap (A − B)
-2.6%
-51.0% vs B
Government
Government Debt
General government gross debt as a share of GDP.
Japan
255.0% of GDP
China
88.0% of GDP
Gap (A − B)
167.0% of GDP
+189.8% vs B
Currency
Policy Interest Rate
Central bank main policy / target rate.
Japan
0.5%
China
3.1%
Gap (A − B)
-2.6%
-83.9% vs B
Inflation (CPI)
Year-over-year consumer price inflation.
Japan
2.6%
China
0.6%
Gap (A − B)
2.0%
+333.3% vs B
Reserves
Foreign Exchange Reserves
Total foreign exchange reserves excluding gold, USD.
Japan
$1250 bn
China
$3300 bn
Gap (A − B)
$-2050 bn
-62.1% vs B
Gold Reserves
Official gold holdings of the monetary authority.
Japan
846 t
China
2,264 t
Gap (A − B)
-1,418 t
-62.6% vs B