Ranking Countries

JPN · Asia · refreshed Aug 10, 2026

If Japan were a US state

It would sit in the top half on 18 of 27 measures — and come first on 12 of them.

Map showing where Japan is in the world
2nd
median, of 52
39th
median, world
12
first places
Share

Keep exploring

Who leads the world

Countries that rank like Japan

Head to head: Japan vs the United States, measure by measure · or against United Kingdom.

From the blog: How representative are country rankings?

All 68 measures →Every country ranked →Every US state →All the Top 10s →The overall board →How we read the data →

Common questions

Questions people ask about Japan

If Japan were a US state, how would it rank?

Across 27 measures of health, safety, money, education and the environment, Japan's median rank would be 2nd on a list of the 50 states plus Washington, DC. It lands in the top half of that list on 18 of the 27 measures.

Is Japan richer than the average US state?

Japan's GDP per capita is $55,422, price-adjusted so states and countries sit on one scale. That would rank 52nd of 52 among the states — poorer than most US states. Source: World Bank (PPP), 2025. See the full ranking

What is life expectancy in Japan vs the US?

People in Japan live 84 years on average — 5.1 years longer than the US figure of 78.9 years. Among the states, Japan would rank 1st of 52. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

How safe is Japan compared to US states?

Japan's homicide rate is 0.2 per 100k — a lower rate than every US state. Ranked with the states on the lowest rate, it would come 1st of 52. Source: UNODC / WHO, 2023. See the full ranking

Where does Japan rank in the world?

On the 30 measures with wide global coverage, Japan's median rank is 39th out of roughly 190 countries (coverage varies by measure). Rank 1st means best in the world.

What is Japan best at?

Compared with US states, Japan's strongest measure is life expectancy: at 84 years, it would rank 1st of 52. It does equally well on lowest homicide rate. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

What is Japan weakest at?

Japan's weakest showing is average wages: 2,809 $/month (PPP) would rank 52nd of 52 — last place on the list. Source: ILO (ILOSTAT), 2021. See the full ranking

How happy are people in Japan?

Japan scores 6.13 / 10 for self-reported life satisfaction, ranking 63rd of 162 countries worldwide. Source: World Happiness Report, 2025. See the full ranking

How big is Japan compared to a US state?

Japan has about 123.4 million people — more people than any US state. Dropped into the list of 50 states plus DC, it would rank 1st of 52 by population. Source: World Bank, 2025. See the full ranking