Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United States instead of China, you would:

Health

live 4.5 years longer

In China, the average life expectancy is 76 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020. In United States, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.8 times more likely to be obese

In China, 6.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In United States, that number is 36.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 3.3 times more money

China has a GDP per capita of $22,100 as of 2023, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $73,600 as of 2023.

be 22.3% less likely to be unemployed

In China, 4.7% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In United States, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.

pay a 12.0% lower top tax rate

China has a top tax rate of 45.0% as of 2016. In United States, the top tax rate is 39.6% as of 2016.

Life

be 23.5% 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 United States, on the other hand, 5.2 children do as of 2022.

have 19.6% more children

In China, there are approximately 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 26.0% more likely to have internet access

In China, approximately 73.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In United States, about 92.0% do as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 69.4% more on education

China spends 3.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. United States spends 6.1% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 3.4 times more on healthcare

China spends 5.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In United States, that number is 18.8% of GDP as of 2020.

Geography

see 37.4% more coastline

China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.

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

United States: At a glance

United States (sometimes abbreviated US or USA) is a sovereign country in North America, with a total land area of approximately 9,147,593 sq km. Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Read more

How big is United States compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about United States.or China It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.