Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in China instead of Vietnam, you would:

Health

live 1.7 years longer

In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 74 years (72 years for men, 77 years for women) as of 2020. In China, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 78 years for women) as of 2020.

be 3.0 times more likely to be obese

In Vietnam, 2.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In China, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 2.6 times more money

Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $6,900 as of 2017, while in China, the GDP per capita is $18,200 as of 2018.

be 58.8% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Vietnam, 8.0% live below the poverty line as of 2017. In China, however, that number is 3.3% as of 2016.

be 77.3% more likely to be unemployed

In Vietnam, 2.2% of adults are unemployed as of 2017. In China, that number is 3.9% as of 2017.

pay a 28.6% higher top tax rate

Vietnam has a top tax rate of 35.0% as of 2016. In China, the top tax rate is 45.0% as of 2016.

Life

be 32.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In Vietnam, approximately 43.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In China, 29.0 women do as of 2017.

be 27.4% less likely to die during infancy

In Vietnam, approximately 15.7 children die before they reach the age of one as of 2020. In China, on the other hand, 11.4 children do as of 2020.

have 20.0% fewer children

In Vietnam, there are approximately 14.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020. In China, there are 11.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 22.8% less likely to have internet access

In Vietnam, approximately 70.3% of the population has internet access as of 2018. In China, about 54.3% do as of 2018.

Geography

see 4.2 times more coastline

Vietnam has a total of 3,444 km of coastline. In China, that number is 14,500 km.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, General Department Of Taxation - Ministry Of Finance, State Administration of Taxation.

China: At a glance

China (sometimes abbreviated PRC) is a sovereign country in East/Southeast Asia, with a total land area of approximately 9,326,410 sq km. For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.
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How big is China compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.

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