Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Hong Kong instead of United States, you would:

Health

live 3.0 years longer

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Hong Kong, that number is 84 years (81 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

pay a 62.1% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Hong Kong, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

make 12.5% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $73,600 as of 2023, while in Hong Kong, the GDP per capita is $64,400 as of 2023.

be 31.8% more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Hong Kong, however, that number is 19.9% as of 2016.

Life

be 50.7% less 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 Hong Kong, on the other hand, 2.5 children do as of 2022.

have 37.7% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Hong Kong, there are 7.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 34.4% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Hong Kong spends 4.0% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

Geography

see 96.3% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Hong Kong, that number is 733 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Internal Revenue Service, Inland Revenue Department, Hong Kong.

Hong Kong: At a glance

Hong Kong (sometimes abbreviated HK) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 1,073 sq km. Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system would not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong would enjoy a "high degree of autonomy" in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the subsequent 50 years.
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How big is Hong Kong compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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