China vs Japan — Country Comparison

The flag of China has a red field. In the canton are five yellow five-pointed stars — a large star and four smaller stars arranged in a vertical arc on the fly side of the large star.China VS The flag of Japan features a crimson-red circle at the center of a white field.Japan

China and Japan side by side: China is the larger country (9,706,961 km² vs 377,930 km², roughly 25.7× the size), while China has the bigger population (1.4 billion vs 123.2 million). The full comparison table below covers capitals, currencies, languages, dialling codes, timezones and more.

Facts last checked 31 August 2026.

FactChinaJapan
CapitalBeijingTokyo
Population1,408,280,000123,210,000
Area9,706,961 km²377,930 km²
CurrencyChinese yuanJapanese yen
LanguageChineseJapanese
Dialling code+86+81
Main timezoneUTC+08:00UTC+09:00
Drives on theRightLeft
RegionEastern AsiaEastern Asia
Emergency number110 (police) / 120 (ambulance) / 119 (fire)110 (police) / 119 (fire & ambulance)

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China vs Japan — FAQ

Which is bigger, China or Japan?

China is bigger by area: 9,706,961 km² vs 377,930 km², roughly 25.7× the size of Japan.

Is China bigger than Japan?

Yes — China covers 9,706,961 km², compared to 377,930 km² for Japan.

Which has more people, China or Japan?

China has the larger population: 1,408,280,000 (1.4 billion) vs 123,210,000 (123.2 million).

How does the size of China compare to Japan?

China (9,706,961 km²) is about 25.7× larger than Japan (377,930 km²).

Do China and Japan use the same currency?

No — China uses the Chinese yuan and Japan uses the Japanese yen.

Are China and Japan on the same continent?

Yes — both are in Asia.

What is the time difference between China and Japan?

Japan is 1h ahead of China (UTC+08:00 vs UTC+09:00), not accounting for daylight saving changes.

Do China and Japan share an official language?

No — China and Japan do not share an official language.

Do China and Japan share a border?

No — China and Japan do not share a land border.

Which is more densely populated, China or Japan?

Japan is more densely populated at roughly 326 people per km², compared to 145 for China.

More comparisons

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