Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Lesotho instead of China, you would:
Health
live 20.2 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 58 years (55 years for men, 60 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.4 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 22.2% of people as of 2024.
see 74.1% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Lesotho spends $386 as of 2023.
have 92.4% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Lesotho has 2.4 as of 2022.
have 34.6% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Lesotho scores 53 as of 2021.
be 3.2 times more likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Lesotho, it is 28.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Lesotho, that number is 16.3% as of 2025.
make 92.1% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Lesotho, the GDP per capita is $1,089 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.5 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Lesotho, there are 23.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 29.9 times more likely to die during childbirth
In China, approximately 16.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Lesotho, 478.0 women do as of 2023.
be 13.7 times more likely to die during infancy
In China, approximately 4.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Lesotho, on the other hand, 56.3 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 42.7% less likely to have access to electricity
In China, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 57% of people on average (85% in urban areas, and 45% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 43.4% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Lesotho, about 51.8% do as of 2024.
be 18.8% less likely to have access to drinking water
In China, approximately 96% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Lesotho, that number is 78% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 69.7% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Lesotho spends 6.6% of total GDP on education as of 2024.
spend 2.1 times more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Lesotho, that number is 12.6% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 24.1% more likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Lesotho, they kill 21.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 93.8% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Lesotho withdraws 3% as of 2022.
find 99.2% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Lesotho has 0.4 as of 2024.
Environment
emit 95.4% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Lesotho emits 0.4 tonnes as of 2024.
be 56.2% more likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Lesotho, it causes 100.0 as of 2019.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Lesotho
Lesotho: At a glance
How big is Lesotho compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.