Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Republic of the Congo instead of China, you would:
Health
be 25.0% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, it is 6.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
live 12.0 years less
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.
be 31.3% more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 12.2% of people as of 2024.
see 86.0% less spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Republic of the Congo spends $209 as of 2023.
have 94.4% fewer doctors per person
China has 31.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Republic of the Congo has 1.7 as of 2022.
have 49.4% less access to essential health services
China scores 81 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Republic of the Congo scores 41 as of 2021.
Economy
be 4.3 times more likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 19.9% as of 2025.
make 81.9% less money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in Republic of the Congo, the GDP per capita is $2,515 as of 2025.
Life
have 4.5 times more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Republic of the Congo, there are 30.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
be 15.1 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 Republic of the Congo, 241.0 women do as of 2023.
be 16.7% less likely to be literate
In China, the literacy rate is 96.7% as of 2020. In Republic of the Congo, it is 80.6% as of 2021.
be 6.6 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 Republic of the Congo, on the other hand, 27.0 children do as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 48.7% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 51% of people on average (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 48.4% less likely to have internet access
In China, approximately 91.6% of the population has internet access as of 2025. In Republic of the Congo, about 47.2% do as of 2024.
be 23.5% 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 Republic of the Congo, that number is 73% of people on average (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021.
Expenditures
spend 14.4% less on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 44.4% less on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 3.3% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 98.8% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In Republic of the Congo, that number is 169 km.
Safety
be 51.7% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Republic of the Congo, they kill 8.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 99.9% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% as of 2022.
find 97.3% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Republic of the Congo has 1.3 as of 2023.
use 94.8% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
emit 85.6% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo: At a glance
How big is Republic of the Congo compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.