Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Burundi, you would:
Health
live 14.2 years longer
In Burundi, the average life expectancy is 64 years (62 years for men, 66 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 14.9 times more spent on your healthcare
Burundi spends $100 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 39.9 times more doctors per person
Burundi has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 97.6% more access to essential health services
Burundi scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 79.3% more likely to be obese
In Burundi, 5.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
be 17.0% more likely to die by suicide
Burundi has a suicide rate of 7.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 59.3 times more money
Burundi has a GDP per capita of $234 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 5.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Burundi, 0.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 95.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Burundi, approximately 392.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 29.5% more likely to be literate
In Burundi, the literacy rate is 74.7% as of 2021. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.
be 86.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Burundi, approximately 30.5 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 79.6% fewer children
In Burundi, there are approximately 33.2 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 8.6 times more likely to have access to electricity
In Burundi, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (65% in urban areas, and 2% 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 10.7 times more likely to have internet access
In Burundi, approximately 8.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
be 45.8% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Burundi, approximately 66% of people have access to drinking water (91% in urban areas, and 61% 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 13.3% less on education
Burundi spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2025. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 34.7% less on healthcare
Burundi spends 9.1% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 41.5% more likely to die in a road accident
In Burundi, road accidents kill 12.3 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 2359.5 times more home broadband
Burundi has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
live with 4.1 times more strain on fresh water
Burundi withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 133.1 times more CO2
Burundi emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Burundi vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Burundi? See an in-depth size comparison.