Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Greece instead of Japan, you would:

Health

live 3.3 years less

In Japan, the average life expectancy is 85 years (82 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2022. In Greece, that number is 81 years (79 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.8 times more likely to be obese

In Japan, 4.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Greece, that number is 24.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

pay a 14.2% lower top tax rate

Japan has a top tax rate of 56.0% as of 2016. In Greece, the top tax rate is 48.0% as of 2016.

make 21.6% less money

Japan has a GDP per capita of $46,300 as of 2023, while in Greece, the GDP per capita is $36,300 as of 2023.

be 4.3 times more likely to be unemployed

In Japan, 2.6% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Greece, that number is 11.0% as of 2023.

be 16.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Japan, 16.1% live below the poverty line as of 2013. In Greece, however, that number is 18.8% as of 2021.

Life

be 100.0% more likely to die during childbirth

In Japan, approximately 4.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Greece, 8.0 women do as of 2020.

be 86.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Japan, approximately 1.9 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Greece, on the other hand, 3.5 children do as of 2022.

Expenditures

spend 12.8% less on healthcare

Japan spends 10.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Greece, that number is 9.5% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 29.4% more on education

Japan spends 3.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Greece spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

Geography

see 54.0% less coastline

Japan has a total of 29,751 km of coastline. In Greece, that number is 13,676 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, GSIS, Greece, National Tax Agency Japan.

Greece: At a glance

Greece is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 130,647 sq km. Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974, democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. In 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.
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How big is Greece compared to Japan? See an in-depth size comparison.

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