Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Turkmenistan, you would:
Health
live 7.8 years longer
In Turkmenistan, the average life expectancy is 70 years (67 years for men, 73 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 58.2% less likely to be obese
In Turkmenistan, 22.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
see 17.6% more spent on your healthcare
Turkmenistan spends $1,264 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 61.2% more doctors per person
Turkmenistan has 19.3 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
be 31.0% more likely to die by suicide
Turkmenistan 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 2.1 times more money
Turkmenistan has a GDP per capita of $6,540 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
Life
be 86.5% less likely to die during infancy
In Turkmenistan, approximately 30.4 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.
be 3.2 times more likely to die during childbirth
In Turkmenistan, approximately 5.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
have 67.6% fewer children
In Turkmenistan, there are approximately 20.9 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 3.6 times more likely to have internet access
In Turkmenistan, approximately 25.3% of the population has internet access as of 2022. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
Safety
be 2.2 times more likely to die in a road accident
In Turkmenistan, road accidents kill 8.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In China, they kill 17.4 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 9.0 times more home broadband
Turkmenistan has 5.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
live with 69.3% less strain on fresh water
Turkmenistan withdraws 135% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
use 2.3 times more electricity
Turkmenistan uses 2,778 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
Environment
be 26.4% less likely to die from air pollution
In Turkmenistan, air pollution causes 87.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In China, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
emit 14.2% less CO2
Turkmenistan emits 10.9 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 (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this
Compare further: Turkmenistan vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Turkmenistan? See an in-depth size comparison.