Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Marshall Islands instead of China, you would:
Health
live 10.9 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 67 years (65 years for men, 69 years for women) as of 2024.
be 4.5 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, that number is 42.0% of people as of 2024.
see 41.2% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Marshall Islands spends $874 as of 2023.
have 27.2% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Marshall Islands scores 59 as of 2021.
Economy
make 38.8% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Marshall Islands, the GDP per capita is $8,489 as of 2025.
Life
have 3.0 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Marshall Islands, there are 20.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 9.7 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 Marshall Islands, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 5.5 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 Marshall Islands, on the other hand, 22.7 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 28.0% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Marshall Islands, about 65.9% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 97.4% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Marshall Islands spends 7.7% of total GDP on education as of 2022.
spend 2.3 times more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Marshall Islands, that number is 13.4% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 97.4% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Marshall Islands, that number is 370 km.
Safety
be 31.6% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Marshall Islands, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 95.0% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Marshall Islands has 2.4 as of 2022.
Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands: At a glance
How big is Marshall Islands compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.