Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Brunei instead of China, you would:

Health

live 2.3 years longer

In China, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Brunei, that number is 78 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

be 2.3 times more likely to be obese

In China, 6.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Brunei, that number is 14.1% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.2 times more money

China has a GDP per capita of $18,200 as of 2022, while in Brunei, the GDP per capita is $58,700 as of 2022.

be 10.6% less likely to be unemployed

In China, 5.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In Brunei, that number is 4.5% as of 2022.

Life

have 54.9% more children

In China, there are approximately 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Brunei, there are 15.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 91.3% more likely to die during childbirth

In China, approximately 23.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Brunei, 44.0 women do as of 2020.

be 55.6% more likely to die during infancy

In China, approximately 6.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Brunei, on the other hand, 10.5 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 34.2% more likely to have internet access

In China, approximately 73.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Brunei, about 98.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 57.1% less on healthcare

China spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Brunei, that number is 2.4% of GDP as of 2020.

spend 22.2% more on education

China spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Brunei spends 4.4% of total GDP on education as of 2016.

Geography

see 98.9% less coastline

China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Brunei, that number is 161 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Brunei: At a glance

Brunei is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 5,265 sq km. The Sultanate of Brunei's influence peaked between the 15th and 17th centuries when its control extended over coastal areas of northwest Borneo and the southern Philippines. Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by internal strife over royal succession, colonial expansion of European powers, and piracy. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate; independence was achieved in 1984. The same family has ruled Brunei for over six centuries. Brunei benefits from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, the source of one of the highest per capita GDPs in Asia.
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How big is Brunei compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.

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