Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

be 3.1 times more likely to be obese

In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In California, that number is 28.4% of people as of 2022.

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Economy

make 6.1 times more money

China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in California, the GDP per capita is $84,028 as of 2024.

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be 10.4% more likely to be unemployed

In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In California, that number is 5.1% as of 2025.

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Sources: World Bank (2025), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: China vs. California

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
California is 3.6 times more expensive than China overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
China is about 24 times bigger than California.
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Moving from China to California · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Shanghai vs Los Angeles
→
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