Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Uganda, you would:
Health
live 9.5 years longer
In Uganda, the average life expectancy is 68 years (65 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.
see 10.7 times more spent on your healthcare
Uganda spends $139 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 16.3 times more doctors per person
Uganda has 1.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 65.3% more access to essential health services
Uganda scores 49 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 62.7% more likely to die by suicide
Uganda has a suicide rate of 5.5 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 11.5 times more money
Uganda has a GDP per capita of $1,206 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 68.0% more likely to be unemployed
In Uganda, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 90.6% less likely to die during childbirth
In Uganda, approximately 170.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 88.6% less likely to die during infancy
In Uganda, approximately 35.9 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 80.3% fewer children
In Uganda, there are approximately 34.4 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 94.2% more likely to have access to electricity
In Uganda, approximately 52% of people have electricity access (76% in urban areas, and 42% 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 10.2 times more likely to have internet access
In Uganda, approximately 8.9% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In China, about 91.6% do as of 2025.
be 52.5% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Uganda, approximately 63% of people have access to drinking water (80% in urban areas, and 57% 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 52.3% more on education
Uganda spends 2.6% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 40.1% more on healthcare
Uganda spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
Safety
be 94.4% less likely to be murdered
Uganda has a homicide rate of 9.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In China, that number is 0.5 per 100,000 as of 2020.
Infrastructure
find 224.7 times more home broadband
Uganda has 0.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 68.5 times more electricity
Uganda uses 95 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 7.1 times more strain on fresh water
Uganda withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
emit 54.8 times more CO2
Uganda emits 0.2 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). How we calculate this
Compare further: Uganda vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Uganda? See an in-depth size comparison.