Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.2 years longer

In China, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In Singapore, that number is 86 years (84 years for men, 89 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

make 5.8 times more money

China has a GDP per capita of $22,100 as of 2023, while in Singapore, the GDP per capita is $127,500 as of 2023.

be 25.7% less likely to be unemployed

In China, 4.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In Singapore, that number is 3.5% as of 2023.

pay a 51.1% lower top tax rate

China has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2016. In Singapore, the top tax rate is 22.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 69.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In China, approximately 23.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Singapore, 7.0 women do as of 2020.

be 77.1% less 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 Singapore, on the other hand, 1.6 children do as of 2022.

have 13.7% fewer children

In China, there are approximately 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Singapore, there are 8.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 24.7% more likely to have internet access

In China, approximately 73.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In Singapore, about 91.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 22.2% less on education

China spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Singapore spends 2.8% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 98.7% less coastline

China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Singapore, that number is 193 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, State Administration of Taxation.

Singapore: At a glance

Singapore is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 709 sq km. Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled) and with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe.
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How big is Singapore compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.

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