Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Arab Emirates instead of China, you would:
Health
live 5.0 years longer
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 83 years (82 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.
see 2.5 times more spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 as of 2023.
be 80.9% less likely to die by suicide
China has a suicide rate of 8.9 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, it is 1.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.4 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 31.6% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 53.0% less likely to be unemployed
In China, 4.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
make 3.6 times more money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in United Arab Emirates, the GDP per capita is $50,274 as of 2024.
Life
be 81.2% less 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 United Arab Emirates, 3.0 women do as of 2023.
have 45.1% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Arab Emirates, there are 9.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.3% less on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 5.0% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 90.9% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 1,318 km.
Safety
be 66.1% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Arab Emirates, they kill 5.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 38.0% more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In United Arab Emirates, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2022.
Infrastructure
use 2.3 times more electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh as of 2023.
find 13.5% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Arab Emirates has 40.8 as of 2024.
live with 36.4 times more strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 95.9% more CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: China vs. United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: At a glance
How big is United Arab Emirates compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.