UCLA Center
for East Asian Studies
Japan and the United States Today
Population
Japan 125 million U.S. 261 million annual growth rate: 0.23% annual growth rate: 0.99% life exp. 80.45 years 75.9 years infant mortality 4.3/1000 8.1/1000 birth rate 10/1000 15/1000 minorities 0.6% 16.6% urban 78% 76% density 850 people/sq. mile 68 people per sq. mile 18% < age 15 22% 18% > age 60 17%
Land Area
Japan 147,470 sq. miles U.S. 3,618,764 sq. miles cultivated 13.9% 20% forest 66.3% 29% pasture 1.7% 26%
Health Care
Japan 1 physician/609 people U.S. 1 physician/404 people 1 hospital bed/77 people 1 hospital bed/198 people
Indicators of Living Standards
Japan per capita GDP: $23, 440 U.S. per capita GDP: $23,120 1 telephone/1.5 people 1 telephone/1.3 people 1 television/1.6 people 1 television/1.2 people cars: 22.2 million cars: 143 million literacy: 99% literacy: 95% daily newspapers sold: 429/1000 people daily newspapers sold: 255/1000 people
Economic Measures
Japan 1997 GDP $4.2 trillion U.S. 1997 GDP: $8.1 trillion 1991-97 average annual growth rate:1.7 % 1991-97 average annual growth rate: 2.6% defense spending as a share of GDP 1.0% defense spending share of GDP: 3.1% defense share of gov't spending: 6.6% defense share of gov't spending: 15.9%
- Japan is the second largest trading partner of the U.S.
- Japan had a $47.6 billion trade surplus with the U.S. in 1996 and a $56.1 billion surplus in 1997.
Last Updated on 7/7/99
By Clayton Dube
Email: cdube@isop.ucla.edu