Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Burma, you would:
Health
live 10.9 years longer
In Burma, the average life expectancy is 67 years (64 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 5.3 times more spent on your healthcare
Burma spends $283 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 4.1 times more doctors per person
Burma has 7.6 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2019. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 55.8% more access to essential health services
Burma scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 14.3% more likely to be obese
In Burma, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Burma has a suicide rate of 2.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 9.3 times more money
Burma has a GDP per capita of $1,489 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 51.5% more likely to be unemployed
In Burma, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 91.4% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burma, approximately 185.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 87.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Burma, approximately 32.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In China, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 58.9% fewer children
In Burma, there are approximately 16.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 30.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Burma, approximately 77% of people have electricity access (95% in urban areas, and 69% in rural areas) as of 2023. In China, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 12.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burma, approximately 86% of people have access to drinking water (96% in urban areas, and 81% in rural areas) as of 2024. In China, that number is 96% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 33.2% more on healthcare
Burma spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 7.5 times more coastline
Burma has a total of 1,930 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.
Safety
be 80.6% less likely to be murdered
Burma has a homicide rate of 2.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In China, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
find 16.4 times more home broadband
Burma has 2.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 17.7 times more electricity
Burma uses 368 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 7.2 times more strain on fresh water
Burma withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 16.1 times more CO2
Burma emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), World Health Organization (2024), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Burma vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Burma? See an in-depth size comparison.