Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Germany fits inside China 27 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Germany: 357,680 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 6.1 times as long as Germany’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 5,886 m above Germany’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 17 times as many people as Germany.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Germany: 83.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 59% more densely populated than China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Germany: 239 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 4.6 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Germany: 180.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 2.7 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Germany: 166.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 6.1 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Germany: 45.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Germany have 0.3 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Germany: 23.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Germany: 10.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Germany are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Germany: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 3.9 times the size of Germany’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 2.6 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Germany: Int$75,407 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Germany (Gini 2.3 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Germany: 33.7 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 3.7% in Germany.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Germany: 3.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany and China are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Germany: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 1.7× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Germany: 80% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 9 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Germany: $6,849 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Germany live 2.8 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Germany: 80.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 32% more likely to die before turning one than in Germany.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 46% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Germany: 24.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 22% in Germany.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Germany: 22% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 0.81 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Germany: 6.88 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Germany drink 3 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Germany: 10.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 4% more meat per person than Germany.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Germany: 70.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany and China are practically level.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 993 more hours a year than in Germany.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Germany: 1,335 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 6.3 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Germany: 14.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Germany welcomed 9.6 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Germany: 0.45 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Germany are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · Germany: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Germany are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Germany: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Germany: 82% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Germany 129.
China: 132 (2024) · Germany: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 3.3 times as long as Germany’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Germany: 33,401 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Germany fly 2.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Germany: 0.96 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Germany, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Germany: 32.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 28% more CO₂ than someone in Germany.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Germany: 6.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Germany: 59.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3.4 times as much fine dust as in Germany.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 81% more likely to be murdered in Germany than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 5.3 times as deadly as in Germany.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Germany: 3.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Germany is on average 2.4 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Germany gets 7% more rain than China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Germany?
China is larger. Germany fits inside China 27 times.
Which has more people, China or Germany?
China has 17 times as many people as Germany (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Germany?
People in Germany live 2.8 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 80.8 in Germany.
Are people taller in China or Germany?
Men in Germany are 4.6 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
