Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Afghanistan fits inside China 15 times.
Afghanistan: 652,870 km² (2023) · China: 9,562,910 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Afghanistan: 0 km (2026 edition) · China: 14,500 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 1,357 m above Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: 7,492 m (2026 edition) · China: 8,849 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 32 times as many people as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 43.8 million (2025) · China: 1.41 billion (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 2.2 times as densely populated as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 67 per km² (2025) · China: 150 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 7.2 cm taller than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 168.5 cm (2019) · China: 175.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 7.3 cm taller than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 156.1 cm (2019) · China: 163.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 22 years older than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16.9 years (2023) · China: 39.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Afghanistan have 3.7 more children on average than in China.
Afghanistan: 4.76 children per woman (2024) · China: 1.01 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 2.4% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.4% (2025) · China: 14.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Afghanistan 0.0.
Afghanistan: 0 (2025) · China: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
Afghanistan has 3 official languages, China 1.
Afghanistan: 3 (2026) · China: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 1,097 times the size of Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: $17.8 billion (2024) · China: $19.5 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 13 times as much per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: Int$2,236 (2024) · China: Int$29,333 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Afghanistan: no data · China: 36 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 13% in Afghanistan, versus 4.6% in China.
Afghanistan: 13.4% (2025) · China: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Afghanistan and China are practically level.
Afghanistan: 1.8% (2021) · China: 1.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 2.5× Afghanistan’s.
Afghanistan: 19% (2024) · China: 47% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 13 times as much on health per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: $59 (2023) · China: $763 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 12 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 66.3 years (2024) · China: 78 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Afghanistan is 12 times as likely to die before turning one as in China.
Afghanistan: 48.3 per 1,000 (2024) · China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 9.8 times as many doctors per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 per 1,000 (2023) · China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
19% of adults in Afghanistan are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
Afghanistan: 18.8% (2024) · China: 9.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 22% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 22.1% (2024) · China: 22.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 4.63 points higher than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.45 (2025) · China: 6.07 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in China drink 122 times as much alcohol as in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.03 litres (2023) · China: 3.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 12 times as much meat per person as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 6.4 kg (2023) · China: 73.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 1,212 kcal more food per person per day than Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2,315 kcal (2023) · China: 3,527 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Afghanistan: no data · China: 2,328 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in China went to school 5.5 years longer than in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 2.5 years (2023) · China: 8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Afghanistan: no data · China: 0.05 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 16% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 16% (2024) · China: 92% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in China have electricity, versus 88% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 87.8% (2024) · China: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 26% in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 26% (2025) · China: 66% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Afghanistan 60.
Afghanistan: 60 (2024) · China: 132 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Afghanistan: no data · China: 109,767 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 19 times as many passengers per resident as those from Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.02 (2023) · China: 0.44 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 24% of China, but only 1.9% of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 1.9% (2023) · China: 24% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 34 times as much CO₂ as someone in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 0.3 t (2024) · China: 8.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
87% of Afghanistan’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
Afghanistan: 86.9% (2024) · China: 37% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Afghanistan carries 28% more fine dust than in China.
Afghanistan: 40 µg/m³ (2024) · China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 8 times as likely to be murdered in Afghanistan as in China.
Afghanistan: 4 per 100k (2021) · China: 0.5 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Afghanistan are 39% deadlier than in China.
Afghanistan: 24.1 per 100k (2021) · China: 17.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Afghanistan is on average 5.7 °C warmer than China.
Afghanistan: 13.5°C (2016–2025 avg) · China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 2.5 times as much rain as Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: 324 mm (2016–2025 avg) · China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Afghanistan bigger than China?
China is larger. Afghanistan fits inside China 15 times.
Which has more people, Afghanistan or China?
China has 32 times as many people as Afghanistan (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Afghanistan or China?
People in China live 12 years longer than in Afghanistan. Life expectancy at birth is 66.3 years in Afghanistan and 78.0 in China.
Are people taller in Afghanistan or China?
Men in China are 7.2 cm taller than in Afghanistan (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
