If you lived in China instead of Republic of the Congo, you would:

Health

live 12.0 years longer

In Republic of the Congo, the average life expectancy is 66 years (64 years for men, 68 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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be 23.9% less likely to be obese

In Republic of the Congo, 12.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.

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see 7.1 times more spent on your healthcare

Republic of the Congo spends $209 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.

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have 18.0 times more doctors per person

Republic of the Congo has 1.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. China has 31.1 as of 2022.

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have 97.6% more access to essential health services

Republic of the Congo scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.

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be 33.4% more likely to die by suicide

Republic of the Congo has a suicide rate of 6.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 76.8% less likely to be unemployed

In Republic of the Congo, 19.9% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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make 5.5 times more money

Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita of $2,515 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.

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Life

be 93.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Republic of the Congo, approximately 241.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 20.0% more likely to be literate

In Republic of the Congo, the literacy rate is 80.6% as of 2021. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.

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be 84.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Republic of the Congo, approximately 27.0 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.

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have 77.7% fewer children

In Republic of the Congo, there are approximately 30.4 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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Basic Needs

be 94.9% more likely to have access to electricity

In Republic of the Congo, approximately 51% of people have electricity access (69% in urban areas, and 11% in rural areas) as of 2023. In China, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 93.9% more likely to have internet access

In Republic of the Congo, approximately 47.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.

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be 30.8% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Republic of the Congo, approximately 73% of people have access to drinking water (87% in urban areas, and 44% in rural areas) as of 2021. In China, that number is 96% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 16.8% more on education

Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.

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spend 80.0% more on healthcare

Republic of the Congo spends 3.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 85.8 times more coastline

Republic of the Congo has a total of 169 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.

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Safety

be 2.1 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Republic of the Congo, road accidents kill 8.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 37.2 times more home broadband

Republic of the Congo has 1.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. China has 47.2 as of 2024.

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use 19.3 times more electricity

Republic of the Congo uses 338 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.

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live with 1384.0 times more strain on fresh water

Republic of the Congo withdraws 0% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.

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Environment

emit 7.0 times more CO2

Republic of the Congo emits 1.3 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 (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2021), The World Factbook (2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

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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