Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United Kingdom instead of China, you would:
Health
live 3.4 years longer
In China, the average life expectancy is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2024.
see 4.4 times more spent on your healthcare
China spends $1,487 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United Kingdom spends $6,606 as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to be obese
In China, 9.3% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United Kingdom, that number is 27.4% of people as of 2024.
Economy
make 4.2 times more money
China has a GDP per capita of $13,862 as of 2025, while in United Kingdom, the GDP per capita is $57,602 as of 2025.
Life
be 50.0% 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 Kingdom, 8.0 women do as of 2023.
have 46.1% more children
In China, there are approximately 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 51.5% more on education
China spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 87.4% more on healthcare
China spends 5.9% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 11.1% of GDP as of 2024.
Geography
see 14.3% less coastline
China has a total of 14,500 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.
Safety
be 86.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In China, road accidents kill 17.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United Kingdom, they kill 2.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 2.2 times more likely to be murdered
China has a homicide rate of 0.5 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
live with 65.4% less strain on fresh water
China withdraws 42% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United Kingdom withdraws 14% as of 2022.
find 10.7% less home broadband
China has 47.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United Kingdom has 42.2 as of 2024.
use 35.7% less electricity
China uses 6,524 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.
Environment
be 79.7% less likely to die from air pollution
In China, air pollution causes 64.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United Kingdom, it causes 13.0 as of 2019.
emit 54.7% less CO2
China emits 9.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United Kingdom emits 4.2 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. United Kingdom
United Kingdom: At a glance
How big is United Kingdom compared to China? See an in-depth size comparison.