Japan vs New Zealand: Annual precipitation
Japan
1,642 millimeters
in 2025
New Zealand
1,631 millimeters
in 2025
Japan rank
42nd
New Zealand rank
43rd
Annual precipitation over time
- Japan
- New Zealand
How they compare
Japan currently reports 1,642 millimeters against 1,631 millimeters in New Zealand, a difference of 11 millimeters.
The two have swapped places 14 times across 86 shared years of data; in 1940 it was Japan ahead.
Japan ranks 42nd and New Zealand ranks 43rd of 192 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 8 and New Zealand in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1,435 millimeters | 1,443 millimeters | 7.79 millimeters | New Zealand |
| 1950s | 1,727 millimeters | 1,517 millimeters | 209.88 millimeters | Japan |
| 1960s | 1,772 millimeters | 1,516 millimeters | 256.64 millimeters | Japan |
| 1970s | 1,906 millimeters | 1,533 millimeters | 372.47 millimeters | Japan |
| 1980s | 1,723 millimeters | 1,590 millimeters | 132.59 millimeters | Japan |
| 1990s | 1,754 millimeters | 1,556 millimeters | 198.06 millimeters | Japan |
| 2000s | 1,697 millimeters | 1,495 millimeters | 202.31 millimeters | Japan |
| 2010s | 1,836 millimeters | 1,570 millimeters | 266.23 millimeters | Japan |
| 2020s | 1,819 millimeters | 1,579 millimeters | 240.2 millimeters | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual precipitation, Japan or New Zealand?
- Japan, at 1,642 millimeters against 1,631 millimeters in New Zealand as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual precipitation between Japan and New Zealand?
- 11 millimeters, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and New Zealand?
- 86 years are reported by both, from 1940 to 2025.
- How do Japan and New Zealand rank globally for annual precipitation?
- Japan ranks 42nd and New Zealand ranks 43rd of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual precipitation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.