Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Finland fits inside China 28 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Finland: 338,480 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 12 times as long as Finland’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 7,521 m above Finland’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 249 times as many people as Finland.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Finland: 5.65 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 8.1 times as densely populated as Finland.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Finland: 19 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 4.9 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Finland: 180.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 3.0 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Finland: 166.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 3.7 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Finland: 42.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Finland have 0.2 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Finland: 24.2% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Finland: 8.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, China 1.
China: 1 (2026) · Finland: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 62 times the size of Finland’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Finland: $317 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 2.2 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Finland: Int$65,885 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Finland (Gini 8.6 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Finland: 27.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 4.6% in China.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Finland: 9.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, China 1.7%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Finland: 2.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Finland’s price level (US = 100) is 1.8× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Finland: 85% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 7.2 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Finland: $5,515 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Finland live 4.3 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Finland: 82.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 2.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Finland.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 16% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Finland: 26.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 21% in Finland.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Finland: 21.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 1.69 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Finland: 7.76 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 2.5 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Finland: 9.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 6% more meat per person than Finland.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Finland: 69.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 181 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 831 more hours a year than in Finland.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Finland: 1,497 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Finland went to school 4.9 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Finland: 13 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 17 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Finland: 0.8 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Finland are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · Finland: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Finland are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Finland: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Finland live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Finland: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
China: 132 (2024) · Finland: 126 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 19 times as long as Finland’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Finland: 5,918 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 4.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Finland: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Finland: 73.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 63% more CO₂ than someone in Finland.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Finland: 5.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Finland: 56.5% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 5.8 times as much fine dust as in Finland.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2 times as likely to be murdered in Finland as in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Finland: 1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 4.1 times as deadly as in Finland.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
China is on average 4.3 °C warmer than Finland.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 7% more rain than Finland.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Finland?
China is larger. Finland fits inside China 28 times.
Which has more people, China or Finland?
China has 249 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Finland?
People in Finland live 4.3 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 82.3 in Finland.
Are people taller in China or Finland?
Men in Finland are 4.9 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
