Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in United Kingdom instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 4.0 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 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.

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Economy

be 69.6% more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United Kingdom, that number is 4.8% as of 2025.

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Life

have 2.0 times more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United Kingdom, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 60.8% more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In United Kingdom, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 55.1% more on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. United Kingdom spends 5.9% of total GDP on education as of 2021.

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Geography

see 17.0 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In United Kingdom, that number is 12,429 km.

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Safety

be 2.9 times more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United Kingdom, that number is 1.1 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

use 34.0% less electricity

Hong Kong uses 6,359 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: Hong Kong vs. United Kingdom

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
United Kingdom is 15.0% cheaper than Hong Kong overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Hong Kong is about 220 times smaller than United Kingdom.
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Moving from Hong Kong to United Kingdom · UN DESA 2020
124,122 people born in Hong Kong live in United Kingdom.
→

United Kingdom: At a glance

United Kingdom (sometimes abbreviated UK) is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 241,930 sq km. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.
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How big is United Kingdom compared to Hong Kong? See an in-depth size comparison.

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