Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Greece fits inside China 72 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Greece: 131,960 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 6% longer than Greece’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Greece: 13,676 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 5,932 m above Greece’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Greece: 2,917 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 135 times as many people as Greece.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Greece: 10.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 85% more densely populated than Greece.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Greece: 81 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Greece are 3.6 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Greece: 179.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Greece are 2.3 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Greece: 165.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Greece is 6.7 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Greece: 45.7 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Greece have 0.2 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Greece: 1.24 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Greece are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Greece: 24.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Greece has produced 1.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Greece: 1 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Greece are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Greece: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 69 times the size of Greece’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Greece: $281 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Greece produces 54% more per person than China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Greece: Int$45,264 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Greece (Gini 2.6 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Greece: 33.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.5% in Greece, versus 4.6% in China.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Greece: 8.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Greece spends 3.1% of its GDP on the military, China 1.7%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Greece: 3.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Greece’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Greece: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Greece spends 2.6 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Greece: $1,963 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Greece live 3.8 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Greece: 81.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 28% more likely to die before turning one than in Greece.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Greece: 3.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Greece has 2.1 times as many doctors per person as China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Greece: 6.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
34% of adults in Greece are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Greece: 33.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
30% of adults in Greece smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Greece: 30.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.38 points higher than in Greece.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Greece: 5.70 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Greece drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Greece: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Greece has 11% more meat per person than China.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Greece: 82 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 145 kcal more food per person per day than Greece.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Greece: 3,382 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 435 more hours a year than in Greece.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Greece: 1,893 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Greece went to school 3.5 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Greece: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Greece welcomed 57 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Greece: 2.67 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 86% in Greece.
China: 92% (2025) · Greece: 86% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Greece are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Greece: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in Greece live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Greece: 79% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Greece 114.
China: 132 (2024) · Greece: 114 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 47 times as long as Greece’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Greece: 2,339 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Greece fly 4.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Greece: 1.83 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 30% of Greece, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Greece: 30.3% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 63% more CO₂ than someone in Greece.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Greece: 5.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
50% of Greece’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Greece: 49.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 2.1 times as much fine dust as in Greece.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Greece: 15.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 67% more likely to be murdered in Greece than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Greece: 0.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 2.4 times as deadly as in Greece.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Greece: 7.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Greece is on average 7.9 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Greece: 15.7°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 2% more rain than Greece.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Greece: 800 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Greece?
China is larger. Greece fits inside China 72 times.
Which has more people, China or Greece?
China has 135 times as many people as Greece (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Greece?
People in Greece live 3.8 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 81.8 in Greece.
Are people taller in China or Greece?
Men in Greece are 3.6 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
