Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Ethiopia fits inside China 8.4 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Ethiopia: 1,136,240 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Ethiopia: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 4,299 m above Ethiopia’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Ethiopia: 4,550 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 10 times as many people as Ethiopia.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Ethiopia: 135 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 25% more densely populated than Ethiopia.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Ethiopia: 120 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 6.8 cm taller than in Ethiopia.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Ethiopia: 168.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 6.3 cm taller than in Ethiopia.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Ethiopia: 157.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 20 years older than in Ethiopia.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Ethiopia: 18.7 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Ethiopia have 2.9 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Ethiopia: 3.91 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 3.3% in Ethiopia.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Ethiopia: 3.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Ethiopia 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Ethiopia: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Ethiopia are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Ethiopia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 154 times the size of Ethiopia’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Ethiopia: $126 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 8.1 times as much per person as Ethiopia.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Ethiopia: Int$3,622 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Ethiopia (Gini 4.9 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Ethiopia: 31.1 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 3.3% in Ethiopia.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Ethiopia: 3.3% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China spends 1.7% of its GDP on the military, Ethiopia 0.7%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Ethiopia: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.8× Ethiopia’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Ethiopia: 26% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 22 times as much on health per person as Ethiopia.
China: $763 (2023) · Ethiopia: $35 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 10 years longer than in Ethiopia.
China: 78 years (2024) · Ethiopia: 67.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Ethiopia is 8.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in China.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Ethiopia: 34.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 22 times as many doctors per person as Ethiopia.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Ethiopia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
9.1% of adults in China are obese, versus 2.5% in Ethiopia.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Ethiopia: 2.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 5.2% in Ethiopia.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Ethiopia: 5.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 2.09 points higher than in Ethiopia.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Ethiopia: 3.99 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in China drink 63% more alcohol than in Ethiopia.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Ethiopia: 2.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 11 times as much meat per person as Ethiopia.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Ethiopia: 6.9 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 968 kcal more food per person per day than Ethiopia.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Ethiopia: 2,558 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 728 more hours a year than in Ethiopia.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Ethiopia: 1,599 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in China went to school 5.6 years longer than in Ethiopia.
China: 8 years (2023) · Ethiopia: 2.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
China welcomed 12 times as many tourists per resident as Ethiopia (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Ethiopia: 0 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 22% in Ethiopia.
China: 92% (2025) · Ethiopia: 22% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in China have electricity, versus 57% in Ethiopia.
China: 100% (2024) · Ethiopia: 56.6% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 24% in Ethiopia.
China: 66% (2025) · Ethiopia: 24% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Ethiopia 65.
China: 132 (2024) · Ethiopia: 65 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 146 times as long as Ethiopia’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Ethiopia: 754 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 3.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from Ethiopia.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Ethiopia: 0.11 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 24% of China, but only 15% of Ethiopia.
China: 24% (2023) · Ethiopia: 14.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 64 times as much CO₂ as someone in Ethiopia.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Ethiopia: 0.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of Ethiopia’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Ethiopia: 100% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 55% more fine dust than in Ethiopia.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Ethiopia: 20.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Ethiopia: no data
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Ethiopia are 2% deadlier than in China.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Ethiopia: 17.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Ethiopia is on average 16.1 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Ethiopia: 23.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Ethiopia gets 18% more rain than China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Ethiopia: 962 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Ethiopia?
China is larger. Ethiopia fits inside China 8.4 times.
Which has more people, China or Ethiopia?
China has 10 times as many people as Ethiopia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Ethiopia?
People in China live 10 years longer than in Ethiopia. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 67.6 in Ethiopia.
Are people taller in China or Ethiopia?
Men in China are 6.8 cm taller than in Ethiopia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
