Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Nicaragua instead of China, you would:
Health
be 52.6% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Nicaragua, it is 4.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 2.9 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 75 years (72 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2024.
be 3.8 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Nicaragua, that number is 34.9% of people as of 2024.
see 53.7% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Nicaragua spends $689 as of 2023.
have 13.6% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Nicaragua scores 70 as of 2021.
Economy
make 77.1% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Nicaragua, the GDP per capita is $3,173 as of 2025.
Life
have 2.8 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Nicaragua, there are 19.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 3.8 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 Nicaragua, 60.0 women do as of 2023.
be 2.3 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 Nicaragua, on the other hand, 9.4 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.7% 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 Nicaragua, that number is 88% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 71% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 33.0% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Nicaragua, about 61.4% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 26.4% less on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Nicaragua spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 39.7% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Nicaragua, that number is 8.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 93.7% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Nicaragua, that number is 910 km.
Safety
be 21.8% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Nicaragua, they kill 13.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 22.7 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Nicaragua, that number is 11.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 94.7% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Nicaragua withdraws 2% as of 2022.
find 87.8% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Nicaragua has 5.8 as of 2024.
use 90.2% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Nicaragua uses 641 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 40.6% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Nicaragua, it causes 38.0 as of 2019.
emit 91.1% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Nicaragua emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Nicaragua
Nicaragua: At a glance
How big is Nicaragua compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.