Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Nepal, you would:
Health
live 7.4 years longer
In Nepal, the average life expectancy is 71 years (69 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.
see 4.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Nepal spends $332 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 3.1 times more doctors per person
Nepal has 10.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 50.0% more access to essential health services
Nepal scores 54 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 11.7% less likely to die by suicide
Nepal has a suicide rate of 10.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 16.7% more likely to be obese
In Nepal, 8.0% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
Economy
be 55.8% less likely to be unemployed
In Nepal, 10.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
make 9.0 times more money
Nepal has a GDP per capita of $1,536 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
Life
be 88.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Nepal, approximately 142.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 35.9% more likely to be literate
In Nepal, the literacy rate is 71.2% as of 2021. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.
be 81.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Nepal, approximately 22.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In China, on the other hand, 4.1 children do as of 2024.
have 64.3% fewer children
In Nepal, there are approximately 19.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 97.8% more likely to have internet access
In Nepal, approximately 46.3% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
Safety
be 76.5% less likely to be murdered
Nepal has a homicide rate of 2.1 per 100,000 people as of 2020. In China, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
be 38.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Nepal, road accidents kill 28.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4.7 times more home broadband
Nepal has 10.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 18.6 times more electricity
Nepal uses 351 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 5.0 times more strain on fresh water
Nepal withdraws 8% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
be 15.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Nepal, air pollution causes 76.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In China, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
emit 17.3 times more CO2
Nepal emits 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Compare further: Nepal vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Nepal? See an in-depth size comparison.