Germany vs Japan: Share of people who say they are happy

Germany
86.4%
in 2022
Japan
88.3%
in 2022
Germany rank
19th
Japan rank
17th

Share of people who say they are happy over time

  • Germany
  • Japan
020406080198420032022

How they compare

Japan currently reports 88.3% against 86.4% in Germany, a difference of 1.9%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 7 shared years of data; in 1984 it was Germany ahead.

Germany ranks 19th and Japan ranks 17th of 39 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 1 and Japan in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany Japan Difference Ahead
1980s 79.1% 77.0% 2.2% Germany
1990s 80.9% 83.4% 2.5% Japan
2000s 83.8% 86.5% 2.7% Japan
2010s 82.6% 86.8% 4.3% Japan
2020s 86.4% 88.3% 1.9% Japan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of people who say they are happy, Germany or Japan?
Japan, at 88.3% against 86.4% in Germany as of 2022.
What is the difference in share of people who say they are happy between Germany and Japan?
1.9%, with Japan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Japan?
7 years are reported by both, from 1984 to 2022.
How do Germany and Japan rank globally for share of people who say they are happy?
Germany ranks 19th and Japan ranks 17th of 39 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of people who say they are happy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs Japan: Share of people who say they are happy. Statizoid, drawing on Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-people-who-say-they-are-happy/germany/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of people who say they are happy
Unit
%
Source
Integrated Values Surveys (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
39 places, 224 data points, 1984–2022
Last refreshed

% of respondents replying "very happy" or "quite happy" when asked "Taking all things together, would you say you are very happy, quite happy, not very happy or not at all happy?"