Quality of life comparison

compared to

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

Health

live 9.8 years longer

In Zambia, the average life expectancy is 66 years (65 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2022. In China, that number is 76 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2020.

be 23.5% less likely to be obese

In Zambia, 8.1% of adults are obese as of 2016. In China, that number is 6.2% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 5.0 times more money

Zambia has a GDP per capita of $3,300 as of 2020, while in China, the GDP per capita is $16,400 as of 2020.

be 75.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Zambia, 15.0% of adults are unemployed as of 2008. In China, that number is 3.6% as of 2019.

be 98.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Zambia, 54.4% live below the poverty line as of 2015. In China, however, that number is 0.6% as of 2019.

pay a 28.6% higher top tax rate

Zambia 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 86.4% less likely to die during childbirth

In Zambia, approximately 213.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2017. In China, 29.0 women do as of 2017.

be 11.6% more likely to be literate

In Zambia, the literacy rate is 86.7% as of 2018. In China, it is 96.8% as of 2018.

be 81.8% less likely to die during infancy

In Zambia, approximately 37.1 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In China, on the other hand, 6.8 children do as of 2022.

have 71.5% fewer children

In Zambia, there are approximately 34.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022. In China, there are 9.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2022.

Basic Needs

be 2.7 times more likely to have access to electricity

In Zambia, approximately 37% of the population has electricity access as of 2019. In China, 100% of the population do as of 2020.

be 3.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Zambia, approximately 20.0% of the population has internet access as of 2020. In China, about 70.0% do as of 2020.

be 32.8% more likely to have access to improved drinking water

In Zambia, approximately 72% of people have improved drinking water access (90% in urban areas, and 57% in rural areas) as of 2020. In China, that number is 95% of people on average (97% in urban areas, and 92% in rural areas) as of 2020.

Expenditures

spend 22.2% less on education

Zambia spends 4.5% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. China spends 3.5% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, Zambia Revenue Authority, 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 Zambia? See an in-depth size comparison.

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