China vs Japan
China has 11.4× the population of Japan: 1,406,585,000 vs 123,366,734, a gap of 1.28 billion. China is shrinking more slowly (−0.17% vs −0.49% a year), adding about -2,387,972 people a year against −607,141. At these source-year rates the modelled relative population gap is widening. Japan is the older society: 30.0% aged 65+ against 14.9% in China, while China has more children (15.4% under 15 vs 11.2%). Japan is 2.3× as densely populated (341.5 vs 150.3 people per km²). People in Japan live 6.0 years longer on average (84.0 vs 78.0). GDP per capita is 2.6× higher in Japan ($35,951 vs $13,862).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (China) and 2025 (Japan); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
China vs Japan — side by side
 China |  Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 | 123,366,7342025 |
| Growth rate / yr | −0.17%2025 | −0.49%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 6.82024 | 5.72024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 7.82024 | 13.32024 |
| Children per woman | 1.012024 | 1.152024 |
| Life expectancy | 78.0 yrs2024 | 84.0 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 15.4%2025 | 11.2%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 14.9%2025 | 30.0%2025 |
| Density | 150.3 /km²2023 | 341.5 /km²2023 |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 | 377,969 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 66.3%2025 | 92.3%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | -268,1262025 | +140,5792025 |
| GDP per capita | $13,8622025 | $35,9512025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #2 | #12 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 17.12% | 1.50% |
Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.
Population since 1960
World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). China: 2.1× from 1960 to 2025; Japan: 1.3× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.
More comparisons
Region: East Asia & Pacific · rankings
China: China vs India, China vs United States, China vs Indonesia, China vs Pakistan, China vs Nigeria, China vs Brazil, China vs Bangladesh, China vs Russia.
Japan: Japan vs India, Japan vs China, Japan vs United States, Japan vs Indonesia, Japan vs Pakistan, Japan vs Nigeria, Japan vs Brazil, Japan vs Bangladesh.
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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.