Economic scale
Japan is larger in current dollars
Japan reported GDP of $4.44T in 2025 and South Korea reported $1.87T in 2025. The larger current-dollar total was about 2.4 times the smaller; exchange rates affect this comparison.
Seven-indicator market comparison
Japan
vs South Korea
Two advanced East Asian economies can be read side by side through income, demographic scale, digital adoption and trade exposure.
At a glance
Latest available observations
Each value keeps its source year because publication schedules differ by country and indicator.
| Indicator | Japan | Year | South Korea | Year | Full series |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDPcurrent US$ | $4.44T | 2025 | $1.87T | 2025 | Chart |
| GDP per capitacurrent US$ | $35,951 | 2025 | $36,227 | 2025 | Chart |
| GDP growthannual % | 1.19% | 2025 | 1.01% | 2025 | Chart |
| Populationpeople | 123,366,734 | 2025 | 51,684,564 | 2025 | Chart |
| Internet use% of population | 85.54% | 2024 | 97.90% | 2024 | Chart |
| Trade openness% of GDP | 44.85% | 2024 | 86.36% | 2025 | Chart |
| Life expectancy at birthyears | 84.04 | 2024 | 83.63 | 2024 | Chart |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Retrieved 2026-08-26.
Data-led reading
Four ways to read the gap
These observations describe the latest series and do not predict future performance.
Income per person
South Korea reports the higher average
GDP per capita was $35,951 for Japan and $36,227 for South Korea in their latest observations, a ratio of about 1.0 to one. This is output per person, not median household income.
Digital reach
South Korea has the higher reported internet-use share
Internet use was 85.54% in Japan and 97.90% in South Korea, a gap of 12.4 percentage points. National access rates do not measure connection speed, affordability or frequency of use.
Momentum & exposure
Growth and trade answer different questions
Latest real GDP growth was 1.19% for Japan and 1.01% for South Korea. Trade equaled 44.85% and 86.36% of GDP respectively. Always check the reported year before linking short-run momentum to economic openness.