Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Timor-Leste, you would:
Health
live 10.1 years longer
In Timor-Leste, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 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 3.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Timor-Leste spends $461 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 4.1 times more doctors per person
Timor-Leste has 7.5 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2020. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 55.8% more access to essential health services
Timor-Leste scores 52 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 2.6 times more likely to be obese
In Timor-Leste, 3.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
be 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide
Timor-Leste has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 10.3 times more money
Timor-Leste has a GDP per capita of $1,341 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 2.9 times more likely to be unemployed
In Timor-Leste, 1.6% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 91.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Timor-Leste, approximately 192.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 39.4% more likely to be literate
In Timor-Leste, the literacy rate is 69.4% as of 2022. In China, it is 96.7% as of 2020.
be 88.2% less likely to die during infancy
In Timor-Leste, approximately 34.6 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 68.9% fewer children
In Timor-Leste, there are approximately 21.8 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 2.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Timor-Leste, approximately 40.8% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
be 10.1% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Timor-Leste, approximately 87% of people have access to drinking water (98% in urban areas, and 82% in rural areas) as of 2024. In China, that number is 96% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 94% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 25.6% less on education
Timor-Leste spends 5.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 38.1% less on healthcare
Timor-Leste spends 9.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 20.5 times more coastline
Timor-Leste has a total of 706 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.
Safety
be 45.0% more likely to die in a road accident
In Timor-Leste, road accidents kill 12.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 4719.0 times more home broadband
Timor-Leste has 0.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
live with 46.9% more strain on fresh water
Timor-Leste withdraws 28% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 18.6 times more CO2
Timor-Leste 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 (2021–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Timor-Leste vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Timor-Leste? See an in-depth size comparison.