Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Pakistan instead of China, you would:
Health
be 37.0% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Pakistan, it is 5.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 10.2 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 68 years (65 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2024.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Pakistan, that number is 24.5% of people as of 2024.
see 89.8% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Pakistan spends $152 as of 2023.
have 62.7% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Pakistan has 11.6 as of 2021.
have 44.4% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Pakistan scores 45 as of 2021.
Economy
be 17.3% more likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Pakistan, that number is 5.4% as of 2025.
make 88.5% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Pakistan, the GDP per capita is $1,596 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.0 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Pakistan, there are 27.4 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 Pakistan, 155.0 women do as of 2023.
be 39.2% less likely to be literate
In China, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2020. In Pakistan, it is 58.9% as of 2021.
be 11.8 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 Pakistan, on the other hand, 48.2 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 37.5% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Pakistan, about 57.2% do as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 50.0% less on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Pakistan spends 1.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 57.6% less on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Pakistan, that number is 2.5% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 92.8% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Pakistan, that number is 1,046 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 Pakistan, they kill 11.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 8.7 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In Pakistan, that number is 4.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Infrastructure
find 96.9% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Pakistan has 1.5 as of 2024.
live with 2.6 times more strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Pakistan withdraws 110% as of 2022.
use 92.1% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Pakistan uses 518 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 91.3% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Pakistan emits 0.8 tonnes as of 2024.
be 64.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Pakistan, it causes 105.0 as of 2019.
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. Pakistan
Pakistan: At a glance
How big is Pakistan compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.