Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in China instead of Greenland, you would:

Health

live 7.8 years longer

In Greenland, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 66.9% less likely to be obese

In Greenland, 28.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 76.3% less money

Greenland has a GDP per capita of $58,499 as of 2023, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 53.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Greenland, approximately 8.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In China, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 43.6% fewer children

In Greenland, there are approximately 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 67.1% less coastline

Greenland has a total of 44,087 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 47.6% more home broadband

Greenland has 32.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. China has 47.2 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 10.8% less CO2

Greenland emits 10.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Greenland vs. China

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
China is 68.5% cheaper than Greenland overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Greenland is about 4.4 times smaller than China.
→
Moving from Greenland 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.
Read more

How big is China compared to Greenland? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about China or Greenland. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.