If you lived in China instead of American Samoa, you would:

Health

live 5.0 years longer

In American Samoa, the average life expectancy is 73 years (70 years for men, 76 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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be 87.8% less likely to be obese

In American Samoa, 75.9% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.

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Economy

make 23.1% less money

American Samoa has a GDP per capita of $18,017 as of 2022, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.

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Life

be 59.2% less likely to die during infancy

In American Samoa, approximately 10.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In China, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

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have 54.8% fewer children

In American Samoa, there are approximately 15.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 69.5% more likely to have access to electricity

In American Samoa, approximately 59% of people have electricity access (60% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2020. In China, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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Geography

see 125.0 times more coastline

American Samoa has a total of 116 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2020–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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 American Samoa? See an in-depth size comparison.

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