Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in China instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 7.5 years less

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

Economy

make 65.7% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $64,400 as of 2023, while in China, the GDP per capita is $22,100 as of 2023.

be 18.8% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2023. In China, that number is 4.7% as of 2023.

pay a 3.0 times higher top tax rate

Hong Kong has a top tax rate of 15.0% as of 2016. In China, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

have 34.2% more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.7 times more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In China, on the other hand, 6.8 children do as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 21.5% less likely to have internet access

In Hong Kong, approximately 93.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In China, about 73.0% do as of 2021.

Geography

see 19.8 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.

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

China: At a glance

China (sometimes abbreviated PRC) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 9,326,410 sq km. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.
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How big is China compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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