Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 10.2 years longer

In Rwanda, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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 7.6 times more money

Rwanda has a GDP per capita of $2,400 as of 2022, while in China, the GDP per capita is $18,200 as of 2022.

be 67.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Rwanda, 15.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2022. In China, that number is 5.0% as of 2022.

pay a 50.0% higher top tax rate

Rwanda has a top tax rate of 30.0% as of 2016. In China, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 91.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Rwanda, approximately 259.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In China, 23.0 women do as of 2020.

be 27.5% more likely to be literate

In Rwanda, the literacy rate is 75.9% as of 2021. In China, it is 96.8% as of 2018.

be 74.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Rwanda, approximately 26.4 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.

have 61.4% fewer children

In Rwanda, there are approximately 26.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In China, there are 10.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Basic Needs

be 2.1 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Rwanda, approximately 49% of the population has electricity access as of 2021. In China, 100% of the population do as of 2021.

be 2.4 times more likely to have internet access

In Rwanda, approximately 30.0% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In China, about 73.0% do as of 2021.

be 15.0% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Rwanda, approximately 83% of people have improved drinking water access (92% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2020. In China, that number is 95% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 23.3% less on healthcare

Rwanda spends 7.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In China, that number is 5.6% of GDP as of 2020.

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

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 Rwanda? See an in-depth size comparison.

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