Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in China instead of California, you would:

Health

live 2.9 years less

In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In China, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.

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Economy

make 73.7% less money

California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in China, the GDP per capita is $22,100 as of 2023.

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Basic Needs

be 21.2% less likely to have internet access

In California, approximately 92.6% of the population has internet access as of 2023. In China, about 73.0% do as of 2021.

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The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Economic Analysis, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), The World Factbook.

Compare further: California vs. China
Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
China is 59.0% cheaper than California
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Size Comparison · See true size
California is about 24 times smaller than China.
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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 California? See an in-depth size comparison.

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