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Sub-region of Asia · Country Index 2026
Eastern Asia
How are the countries of Eastern Asia doing?
Half of Eastern Asia’s 4 placed countries sit at or above 18th of 174 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 4th of 21 sub-regions. South Korea is placed highest, 16th; Mongolia lowest, joint 80th. 2 reach the world’s top fifth. 4 more of its 8 countries and territories are not placed.
Macau
01Who is in it
The countries of Eastern Asia
Alphabetical, with each country’s own banner photograph. The position is its place in the whole world ranking, never within the region.
Photo: Seebeer Edited by Nicholasjf21 · Public domain, greyscale
- Capital
- Beijing
- People, 2023
- 1,422,584,933
- Land, 2024
- 9,388,210 km²
Country Index52nd of 174
Placed highest on Mobility & Connectivity, 4th of 147
Photo: Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
- People, 2023
- 7,442,734
- Land, 2024
- 1,050 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 8 of 12 topics
Placed highest on Mobility & Connectivity, 2nd of 147
Photo: JurriaanH · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Tokyo
- People, 2023
- 124,370,947
- Land, 2024
- 364,500 km²
Country Index18th of 174
Placed highest on Work & Labour, 2nd of 182
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
- People, 2023
- 713,912
- Land, 2024
- 33.3 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 2 of 12 topics
Placed highest on Work & Labour, joint 26th of 182
Photo: Ludovic Hirlimann [ dead link ] · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Ulaanbaatar
- People, 2023
- 3,431,932
- Land, 2024
- 1,558,501 km²
Country Indexjoint 80th of 174
Placed highest on Risk & Resilience, 32nd of 191
- Capital
- Pyongyang
- People, 2023
- 26,418,204
- Land, 2024
- 120,410 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 7 of 12 topics
Placed highest on Work & Labour, 81st of 182
Photo: Unknown author · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Seoul
- People, 2023
- 51,748,739
- Land, 2024
- 97,600 km²
Country Index16th of 174
Placed highest on Education & Knowledge, 1st of 182
Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0, greyscale
- Capital
- Taipei
- People, 2023
- 23,317,145
- Land, 2024
- 35,410 km²
Not placed in the Country Index — standings on 7 of 12 topics
Placed highest on Peace & Security, 7th of 177
02The region
About Eastern Asia
China, Japan, the Koreas, Mongolia and Taiwan.
Eastern Asia faces the Pacific, from the Mongolian steppe and the Tibetan Plateau to the islands of Japan. It holds the great river plains of the Yellow River and the Yangtze, the Korean peninsula, and some of the most densely populated coasts in the world.
Chinese civilisation developed along its rivers over thousands of years, and its writing, philosophy and inventions spread across the region, where Japan and Korea developed distinct cultures of their own. In the twentieth century the region went through war, revolution and rapid industrialisation, and several of its economies grew into some of the largest in the world.
03Where
Eastern Asia on the map
Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.
Country Index position: 1st174thMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks
04Country Index 2026
Where Eastern Asia’s countries place
Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 174, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.
| In region | Country | In the world | 1st174th |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Korea | 16 / 174between 13th and 21st if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics | |
| 2 |  Japan | 18 / 174between 14th and 23rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 11 of 12 topics | |
| 3 |  China | 52 / 174between 48th and 56th if any one key were dropped · standings on 12 of 12 topics | |
| 4 |  Mongolia | 80 / 174between 69th and 91st if any one key were dropped · standings on 11 of 12 topics |
A further 4 of its countries and territories are not placed: the Country Index 2026 places a country only once it holds a standing on 9 of its 12 voting topics. Hong Kong, Macau, North Korea and Taiwan.
Eastern Asia among the 21 sub-regions with a median
4th of 21. Nothing is weighted by population or size.
- 1Western Europe7th7 of 9Placed countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 25th.
- 2Northern Europe9th10 of 13Placed countries run from Ireland 2nd to Latvia 27th.
- 3Australia and New Zealand13th2 of 2Placed countries run from New Zealand 13th to Australia 14th.
- 4Eastern Asia18th4 of 8Placed countries run from South Korea 16th to Mongolia 80th.
- 5Northern America20th2 of 4Placed countries run from Canada 20th to United States 33rd.
- 6Southern Europe30th12 of 17Placed countries run from Slovenia 15th to Albania 57th.
- 7Eastern Europe41st10 of 10Placed countries run from Czechia 12th to Russia 85th.
- 8Polynesia64th2 of 7Placed countries run from Samoa 64th to Tonga 87th.
- 9South America74th12 of 12Placed countries run from Uruguay 35th to Venezuela 139th.
- 10Caribbean76th9 of 24Placed countries run from Barbados 55th to Haiti 168th.
- 11Western Asia80th17 of 19Placed countries run from Cyprus 36th to Yemen 172nd.
- 12South-eastern Asia90th11 of 11Placed countries run from Singapore 21st to Myanmar 152nd.
- 13Central America92nd8 of 8Placed countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 132nd.
- 14Central Asia104th5 of 5Placed countries run from Kazakhstan 62nd to Turkmenistan 133rd.
- 15Melanesia108th4 of 5Placed countries run from Fiji 66th to Papua New Guinea 145th.
- 16Southern Asia109th9 of 9Placed countries run from Maldives 50th to Afghanistan 171st.
- 17Southern Africa113th5 of 5Placed countries run from South Africa 94th to Eswatini 138th.
- 18Northern Africa125th6 of 6Placed countries run from Tunisia 105th to Sudan 173rd.
- 19Western Africa141st15 of 16Placed countries run from Ghana 99th to Mauritania 166th.
- 20Eastern Africa142nd15 of 19Placed countries run from Mauritius 46th to Somalia 174th.
- 21Middle Africa150th9 of 9Placed countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 95th to Chad 170th.
- Micronesia—none placed
- Asia, the whole continent89th
- The world’s midpoint87th
1st174thmedianplaced
The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.
05By subject
Topic by topic
Every country’s position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field; select a cell for the country’s page on the topic. Strongest for Eastern Asia: Mobility & Connectivity, 1st of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Environment & Sustainability, 19th of 21.
Columns run from the topic where Eastern Asia places best among sub-regions to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.
06In numbers
Eastern Asia in 6 numbers
Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Eastern Asia’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.
GDP per person
international $, PPP · log scale
World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better
No reading: North Korea, Taiwan
Human development
HDI, 0–1
UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better
No reading: Macau, North Korea, Taiwan
Every value for Eastern Asia’s countries
| Country | Population 2023 | Land area 2024 | GDP per person 2025 | Life expectancy 2023 | Human development 2023 | Unemployment 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1,422,584,933rank 2 | 9,388,210rank 2 | 25,067rank 71 | 77.95rank 69 | 0.797rank 78 | 4.615rank 107 |
| Hong Kong | 7,442,734rank 104 | 1,050rank 176 | 68,725rank 13 | 85.51rank 3 | 0.955rank 8 | 2.799rank 151 |
| Japan | 124,370,947rank 12 | 364,500rank 62 | 48,283rank 35 | 84.71rank 4 | 0.925rank 23 | 2.451rank 159 |
| Macau | 713,912rank 167 | 33.3rank 216 | 117,098rank 4 | 83.07rank 19 | — | 2.347rank 160 |
| Mongolia | 3,431,932rank 133 | 1,558,501rank 18 | 17,773rank 91 | 71.73rank 141 | 0.747rank 104 | 5.233rank 88 |
| North Korea | 26,418,204rank 55 | 120,410rank 98 | — | 73.64rank 120 | — | 3.545rank 123 |
| South Korea | 51,748,739rank 29 | 97,600rank 105 | 55,697rank 26 | 84.33rank 5 | 0.937rank 20 | 2.683rank 154 |
| Taiwan | 23,317,145rank 59 | 35,410rank 133 | — | 80.56rank 47 | — | — |
07In records
Eastern Asia in records
The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.
Most populous
1,422,584,933
people
Largest by land area
9,388,210
square kilometres
Highest GDP per person
117,098
international $ at purchasing power parity
Longest life expectancy
85.51
years at birth
Highest human development
0.955
on the Human Development Index, 0–1
Perceived as least corrupt
76
on the Corruption Perceptions Index, 0–100
08Latest editions
Who rose and fell in the published ranks
The moves of Eastern Asia’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.
Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.
Declined most
rank before → after- China74 → 78−4
- South Korea19 → 20−1
Ranks as published by Transparency International in the Corruption Perceptions Index: the 2024 edition (180 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (182 ranked).
Declined most
rank before → after- Mongolia114 → 124−10
North Korea170 → 172−2- South Korea30 → 31−1
Ranks as published by World Intellectual Property Organization in the Global Innovation Index: the 2024 edition (133 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (139 ranked).
Improved most
rank before → after
Hong Kong18 → 15+3- South Korea6 → 4+2
- China11 → 10+1
Declined most
rank before → after- Mongolia67 → 78−11
Ranks as published by Growth Lab at Harvard University in the Economic Complexity Index: reference years 2023 (145 countries ranked) → 2024 (145 ranked), both from its 2026 report.
Improved most
rank before → after- China12 → 10+2
- South Korea4 → 3+1
Ranks as published by Oxford Insights in the Government AI Readiness Index: the 2024 edition (188 countries ranked) → the 2025 edition (195 ranked).
Declined most
rank before → after
Taiwan16 → 31−15- South Korea3 → 5−2
- Japan12 → 14−2
09In context
Across the border
The countries outside Eastern Asia that share a land border with one of its members, with their world positions, and the sub-regions they belong to. Land borders only, as drawn on the map.
Central Asia
Eastern Europe
South-eastern Asia
Southern Asia
10Places
Landmarks of Eastern Asia
Two places from each member with a gallery on its profile.
Great Wall of China
Series of fortifications built across northern China over many centuries.
Photo: Severin.stalder · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Forbidden City
Imperial palace complex in central Beijing, home to Ming and Qing emperors.
Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Mount Fuji
Stratovolcano on Honshu and the highest mountain in Japan.
Photo: 名古屋太郎, (edited by Hannes_24 ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Himeji Castle
Hilltop castle complex in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, completed in the early seventeenth century.
Photo: Nikos Kitsakis · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Bulguksa
Buddhist temple in Gyeongju dating from the Silla kingdom.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Seongsan Ilchulbong
Tuff cone rising from the sea on the eastern coast of Jeju Island.
Photo: Korea.net / Korean Culture and Information Service (Photographer name) · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
11Analysis
Charts and analysis about Eastern Asia’s countries
12Keep reading
Explore further
The rest of Asia
Central Asia
Countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.104th
median of 174 · 5 of 5 placed
Kazakhstan 62nd → Turkmenistan 133rd
South-eastern Asia
+1Countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam.90th
median of 174 · 11 of 11 placed
Singapore 21st → Myanmar 152nd
Southern Asia
Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.109th
median of 174 · 9 of 9 placed
Maldives 50th → Afghanistan 171st
Western Asia
+9Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Northern Cyprus, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.80th
median of 174 · 17 of 19 placed
Cyprus 36th → Yemen 172nd
13Method
Questions, method and sources
Which countries are in Eastern Asia?
8 countries and territories: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea and Taiwan. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification. Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are listed separately because the publishers of the statistics report them separately. Listing them takes no position on their status.
Which country in Eastern Asia is placed highest?
South Korea, placed 16th of 174 in the Country Index 2026. Mongolia is placed lowest, joint 80th. 4 of the region’s 8 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.
How does Eastern Asia compare with other regions?
Half of its 4 placed countries sit at or above 18th of 174, which places it 4th of 21 sub-regions. The median across Asia is 89th. The middle of the whole field is 87th. Nothing is weighted by population or size.
How many people live in Eastern Asia?
1,660,028,546 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 8 countries and territories.
What is the largest country in Eastern Asia?
By land area, China: 9,388,210 square kilometres (2024). By population, China: 1,422,584,933 people (2023).
How a region’s figure is made
- Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
- Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
- The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
- A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.
Where the regions come from
United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.
Where the positions come from
Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.
Photographs
Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- China — Seebeer Edited by Nicholasjf21, Public domain
- Hong Kong — Base64 and Derivative work by Globe-trotter, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Japan — JurriaanH, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Macau — Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mongolia — Ludovic Hirlimann [ dead link ], CC BY-SA 2.0
- South Korea — Unknown author, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Taiwan — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Eastern Asia: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/eastern-asia