Quality of life comparison
If you lived in China instead of Vietnam, you would:
Health
live 3.3 years longer
In Vietnam, the average life expectancy is 75 years (70 years for men, 79 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 2.2 times more spent on your healthcare
Vietnam spends $690 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). China spends $1,487 as of 2023.
have 2.8 times more doctors per person
Vietnam has 11.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. China has 31.1 as of 2022.
have 19.1% more access to essential health services
Vietnam scores 68 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. China scores 81 as of 2021.
be 3.9 times more likely to be obese
In Vietnam, 2.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In China, that number is 9.3% of people as of 2024.
be 22.6% more likely to die by suicide
Vietnam has a suicide rate of 7.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In China, it is 8.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 2.7 times more money
Vietnam has a GDP per capita of $5,066 as of 2025, while in China, the GDP per capita is $13,862 as of 2025.
be 3.0 times more likely to be unemployed
In Vietnam, 1.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In China, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.
Life
be 66.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Vietnam, approximately 48.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In China, 16.0 women do as of 2023.
be 65.8% less likely to die during infancy
In Vietnam, approximately 12.0 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 49.6% fewer children
In Vietnam, there are approximately 13.4 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In China, there are 6.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 34.9% more on education
Vietnam spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. China spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2023.
spend 30.3% more on healthcare
Vietnam spends 4.6% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In China, that number is 5.9% of GDP as of 2023.
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.
Infrastructure
find 99.0% more home broadband
Vietnam has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. China has 47.2 as of 2024.
use 2.5 times more electricity
Vietnam uses 2,585 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. China uses 6,524 kWh as of 2023.
live with 2.3 times more strain on fresh water
Vietnam withdraws 18% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. China withdraws 42% as of 2022.
Environment
be 23.1% more likely to die from air pollution
In Vietnam, air pollution causes 52.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In China, it causes 64.0 as of 2019.
emit 2.2 times more CO2
Vietnam emits 4.3 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. How we calculate this
Compare further: Vietnam vs. China
China: At a glance
How big is China compared to Vietnam? See an in-depth size comparison.