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

Health

live 22.8 years longer

In Chad, the average life expectancy is 55 years (53 years for men, 57 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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see 11.4 times more spent on your healthcare

Chad spends $130 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.

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have 36.6 times more doctors per person

Chad has 0.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. China has 31.1 as of 2022.

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have 2.8 times more access to essential health services

Chad scores 29 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.

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be 25.5% more likely to be obese

In Chad, 7.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.

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be 71.8% more likely to die by suicide

Chad has a suicide rate of 5.2 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

make 13.6 times more money

Chad has a GDP per capita of $1,022 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.

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be 4.4 times more likely to be unemployed

In Chad, 1.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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Life

be 97.9% less likely to die during childbirth

In Chad, approximately 748.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 3.6 times more likely to be literate

In Chad, the literacy rate is 26.8% as of 2021. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.

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be 92.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Chad, approximately 56.3 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.

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have 84.4% fewer children

In Chad, there are approximately 43.3 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 8.3 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Chad, approximately 12% of people have electricity access (48% in urban areas, and 0% 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.

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be 7.3 times more likely to have internet access

In Chad, approximately 12.6% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.

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be 84.1% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Chad, approximately 52% of people have access to drinking water (78% in urban areas, and 44% 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.

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Expenditures

spend 21.9% more on education

Chad spends 3.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 18.8% more on healthcare

Chad spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 34.1% less likely to die in a road accident

In Chad, road accidents kill 26.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

use 475.5 times more electricity

Chad uses 14 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 9.7 times more strain on fresh water

Chad withdraws 4% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 32.6% less likely to die from air pollution

In Chad, air pollution causes 95.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In China, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.

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emit 66.6 times more CO2

Chad emits 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). 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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