Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in China instead of French Polynesia, you would:

Health

be 81.1% less likely to be obese

In French Polynesia, 49.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.

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live 6.2 years less

In French Polynesia, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 87 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 60.4% less likely to be unemployed

In French Polynesia, 11.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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make 38.2% less money

French Polynesia has a GDP per capita of $22,440 as of 2024, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.

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Life

have 36.7% fewer children

In French Polynesia, there are approximately 10.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Geography

see 5.7 times more coastline

French Polynesia has a total of 2,525 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.

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Infrastructure

find 32.7% more home broadband

French Polynesia has 35.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. China has 47.2 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 2.7 times more CO2

French Polynesia emits 3.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2023–2025), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: French Polynesia vs. China

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
China is 60.2% cheaper than French Polynesia overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
French Polynesia is about 2,303 times smaller than China.
→
Moving from French Polynesia to China · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→

China: At a glance

China (sometimes abbreviated PRC) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 9,326,410 sq km. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.
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How big is China compared to French Polynesia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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