Canada population: 41.4 million
California population: 39.4 million
Greater Tokyo Area: 37.4 million
this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2026
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Almost similar GDP as well
Canada GDP (2026): $2.51 Trillion USD
California GDP (2025): $4.25 Trillion USD
Greater Tokyo Area (2022): $1.82 Trillion USD
Wide Spread but still all in the low Trillions
California is inflated by Silicon Valley stuff. Maybe left-over Hollywood prestige, as well.
Japan isn't known for it's awesome economy, but it's surprising world city Tokyo is still doing worse than all of Canada including the backwaters.
California also offers an agricultural powerhouse of productivity, oceanfront tourism, and ongoing techbro circle jerks.
Oh right, a lot of produce that makes it up here is from California, although we've noticeably weaned off of it over the course of the trade war.
I did mention the techbros. If the bubble pops and geopolitics breaks the monopolies it end up a lot closer to Canada.
Doing Worse is subjective.
Higher GDP ≠ Doing Better.
The US has some of the highest GDP per capita on earth but that doesn’t mean it (or it’s economy, if you don’t define economy just as stock market go brrr) is doing well.
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I wonder how they're determining what's in Tokyo for the GDP calculation. For example, companies' HQs there vs actual factories or whatever they own being elsewhere.
I wonder if you take out fossil fuel and logging out of Canada’s GDP if it still would be higher than Tokyo’s. Not much logging and oil drilling going on in Tokyo I reckon.
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It's not surprising because GDP does not reflect quality of life in any form whatsoever. GDP is not a measure of wealth it's a measure of feverish, extractive, mindless and destructive activity.
Sure, when you go to the store and buy food so you don't starve, that's mindless destructive activity. /s
It's definitely not a measure of wealth, because it's more of a proxy for income and productivity. And in the end, it correlates decently well with actual lifestyles. (Quality of life is more nebulous; there's miserable rich people and happy hut-dwellers)
Biggest question.
Who wins in a street fight.
I wanna give it to the Canadians on sheer variety but I think California might win that one.
1000% California. So Cal is mostly LA and NorCal is a bunch of granola outdoor survival types.
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ninjas?
Canadian ninjas or Californian ninjas?
Surf Ninjas!
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80% of þe population of Canada lives South of Minneapolis, MN., USA.
My wife's family is from northern Minnesota. When we visit my in-laws we like to joke that they're two states north of Canada.
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Yes, but also Mercator projection.
The more you think about it, the more insane it is, like... wow
there are too many people in Tokyo. like come on guys. there are other cities.
The problem is, the best educational institutions, best-paying jobs, and most quantity of open positions are in that area. Without spreading that out, you won't get the people who would rather live elsewhere out. We do have worker shortages here in the countryside, but they're often manual labor which people are less keen on.
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tokyo firmly believes in stacking
You made Saddam too small.
So Tokyo has 1 moose, California has 100 moose, and Canada is overrun by moose. Got it!
Only moose I ever saw in California palled around with a squirrel and constantly had beef with a Russian couple when visiting Universal Studios.
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Does that mean Canada is looking for immigrants? A lot of us can help bring that number up.
If you want to own a home, look at property prices and then reconsider. In the urban areas, the housing market can be nuts from what I've seen.
The big map is misleading. The vast majority of us live within 100 miles of the US border.
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That depends on whom you ask. 🤷 And how eager are you to live in a remote community?
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I know where I want to live. (and do)
ngl I'd be happy in all 3
Cali ain't so bad, mostly just silicon valley making things suck
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