Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Senegal, you would:
Health
live 9.1 years longer
In Senegal, the average life expectancy is 69 years (67 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2024. In China, that number is 78 years (75 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
be 19.8% less likely to be obese
In Senegal, 11.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
see 7.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Senegal spends $206 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 28.6 times more doctors per person
Senegal has 1.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 62.0% more access to essential health services
Senegal scores 50 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 32.4% more likely to die by suicide
Senegal has a suicide rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 7.1 times more money
Senegal has a GDP per capita of $1,955 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 69.2% more likely to be unemployed
In Senegal, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 93.2% less likely to die during childbirth
In Senegal, approximately 237.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 92.1% more likely to be literate
In Senegal, the literacy rate is 50.4% as of 2023. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.
be 85.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Senegal, approximately 28.9 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 76.8% fewer children
In Senegal, there are approximately 29.2 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 34.8% more likely to have access to electricity
In Senegal, approximately 74% of people have electricity access (96% in urban areas, and 56% 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.
be 52.4% more likely to have internet access
In Senegal, approximately 60.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
Expenditures
spend 36.7% less on education
Senegal spends 6.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 37.5% more on healthcare
Senegal spends 4.3% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 27.3 times more coastline
Senegal has a total of 531 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.
Safety
be 16.3% less likely to die in a road accident
In Senegal, road accidents kill 20.8 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 11.7 times more home broadband
Senegal has 4.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 15.9 times more electricity
Senegal uses 410 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.6 times more strain on fresh water
Senegal withdraws 16% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 12.1 times more CO2
Senegal emits 0.8 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 (2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Senegal vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Senegal? See an in-depth size comparison.