Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Thailand, you would:
Health
live 1.5 years longer
In Thailand, the average life expectancy is 77 years (72 years for men, 81 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 43.2% less likely to be obese
In Thailand, 16.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
see 39.4% more spent on your healthcare
Thailand spends $1,067 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 5.8 times more doctors per person
Thailand has 5.4 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
be 46.1% less likely to die by suicide
Thailand has a suicide rate of 16.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 72.1% more money
Thailand has a GDP per capita of $8,057 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 5.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Thailand, 0.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 52.9% less likely to die during childbirth
In Thailand, approximately 34.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 46.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Thailand, approximately 7.7 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 16.6% fewer children
In Thailand, there are approximately 8.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 54.8% more on education
Thailand spends 2.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 30.8% more on healthcare
Thailand spends 4.5% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 4.5 times more coastline
Thailand has a total of 3,219 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.
Safety
be 36.6% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Thailand, 67% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2022. In China, that number is 91% as of 2020.
be 31.5% less likely to die in a road accident
In Thailand, road accidents kill 25.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 3.2 times more home broadband
Thailand has 14.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 2.2 times more electricity
Thailand uses 2,965 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 80.4% more strain on fresh water
Thailand withdraws 23% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
be 2.2 times more likely to die from air pollution
In Thailand, air pollution causes 29.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In China, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.4 times more CO2
Thailand emits 4.0 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. China emits 9.3 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Thailand vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Thailand? See an in-depth size comparison.