Moving to China from Afghanistan

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What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Afghanistan to China — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Afghanistan to China, and you’d need to navigate life in Chinese.

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Key Indicator Comparison

How Afghanistan and China stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AF
4.0
CN
0.5
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AF
24.1
CN
17.4

China performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

AF
$330
CN
$1,487
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

affects wait times and access to care

AF
2.5
CN
25.2

Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though China leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AF
143.0
CN
64.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AF
0.3t
CN
9.3t

Afghanistan generally does better on environment, though China leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AF
0.1
CN
41.4
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AF
54.8%
CN
41.5%

China performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AF
14.4%
CN
4.7%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AF
$2,000
CN
$22,100

China generally does better on employment & economy, though Afghanistan leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AF
53.6 yrs
CN
76.1 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AF
104.9
CN
6.8

China performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all family life metrics.

Data: Afghanistan Revenue Department, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Kabul Rain: 12.3 in/yr (312 mm)
67° / 40°F

Avg. annual high / low

Beijing Rain: 22.8 in/yr (578 mm)
64° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Kabul Beijing
Jan–Mar 45°/25°F (8°/-4°C) 42°/22°F (6°/-6°C)
Apr–Jun 76°/48°F (25°/9°C) 78°/55°F (26°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 88°/56°F (31°/13°C) 83°/66°F (29°/19°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/31°F (15°/-1°C) 51°/32°F (11°/0°C)
View all months
Month Kabul Beijing
Jan 40°/19°F (4.5°/-7.1°C) 35°/15°F (1.6°/-9.4°C)
Feb 42°/22°F (5.5°/-5.7°C) 39°/20°F (4.0°/-6.9°C)
Mar 54°/33°F (12.5°/0.7°C) 52°/31°F (11.3°/-0.6°C)
Apr 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) 68°/45°F (19.9°/7.2°C)
May 76°/48°F (24.4°/8.8°C) 80°/56°F (26.4°/13.2°C)
Jun 86°/54°F (30.2°/12.4°C) 87°/65°F (30.3°/18.2°C)
Jul 90°/60°F (32.1°/15.3°C) 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.6°C)
Aug 90°/58°F (32.0°/14.3°C) 85°/69°F (29.5°/20.4°C)
Sep 83°/49°F (28.5°/9.4°C) 78°/58°F (25.8°/14.2°C)
Oct 72°/39°F (22.4°/3.9°C) 66°/45°F (19.0°/7.3°C)
Nov 59°/30°F (15.0°/-1.2°C) 50°/31°F (10.1°/-0.4°C)
Dec 47°/24°F (8.3°/-4.7°C) 38°/20°F (3.3°/-6.9°C)

Data: China Meteorological Administration China Meteorological Administration

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Afghanistan and China. To live, work, or study long-term in China, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check China's immigration authority.

Afghanistan passport

Afghanistan passport holder visiting China

Visa Required
Afghanistan passport holders need a visa to enter China.
China passport

China passport holder visiting Afghanistan

Visa Required
China passport holders need a visa to enter Afghanistan.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work remotely from China?

With 41.4 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, China can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Afghanistan and China.

Is China safe for expats?

China performs significantly better than Afghanistan across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in China is 0.5 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.0 in Afghanistan.

How is healthcare in China compared to Afghanistan?

Afghanistan generally does better on health & wellbeing, though China leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 25.2 doctors per 10,000 people in China, compared to 2.5 in Afghanistan. China scores 81 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Afghanistan: 41).

What's the weather like in China compared to Afghanistan?

The average high temperature in Beijing is 64°F, compared to 67°F in Kabul. Beijing receives around 22.8 in of rainfall per year, while Kabul gets 12.3 in.

What language do they speak in China?

The official language in China is Chinese. In Afghanistan, the official languages are Dari, Pashto and Turkmen.

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At a Glance

AF CN
Population 38,346,720 1,410,539,758
Currency Afghan Afghani (AFN) Chinese Yuan (CN¥)
Languages Dari, Pashto, Turkmen Chinese
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +93 +86
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 110