Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 82.9% less likely to be obese

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

live 4.5 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 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 70.0% less money

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

be 28.7% more likely to be unemployed

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

pay a 13.6% higher top tax rate

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

Life

be 30.8% more likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 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 16.4% fewer children

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

Basic Needs

be 20.7% less likely to have internet access

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

Expenditures

spend 41.0% less on education

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

spend 70.2% less on healthcare

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

Geography

see 27.2% less coastline

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

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, 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 United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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