Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
India fits inside China 2.9 times
China: 9,562,910 km² (2024) · India: 3,287,260 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 2.1 times as long as India’s
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · India: 7,000 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 263 m above India’s
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · India: 8,586 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 60% of India, versus 42% of China
China: 41.7% (2024) · India: 59.9% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
India has 4% more people than China
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · India: 1.46 billion (2025)
How crowded is it?
India is 3.3 times as densely populated as China
China: 150 per km² (2025) · India: 492 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 9.2 cm taller than in India
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · India: 166.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 8.3 cm taller than in India
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · India: 155.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 11 years older than in India
China: 39.1 years (2023) · India: 28.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in India have 0.9 more children on average than in China
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · India: 1.96 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 7.4% in India
China: 14.9% (2025) · India: 7.4% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
India hosts 997 times as many refugees per resident as China
China: 0.00016 per 1,000 (2025) · India: 0.2 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, India 0.1
China: 0.1 (2026) · India: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
India has 3 official languages, China 1
China: 1 (2026) · India: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 4.9 times the size of India’s
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · India: $3.96 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 2.5 times as much per person as India
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · India: Int$11,748 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in India (Gini 13 points higher)
China: 36 (2022) · India: 23 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.6% of people in India live on less than $3 a day, versus 0% in China
China: 0% (2022) · India: 2.6% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
China and India are practically level
China: 4.6% (2025) · India: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
India spends 2.3% of its GDP on the military, China 1.7%
China: 1.7% (2025) · India: 2.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
China and India are practically level
China: 7% (2024) · India: 6.9% (2022)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 2.1× India’s
China: 47% (2025) · India: 23% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 9 times as much on health per person as India
China: $763 (2023) · India: $85 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 5.8 years longer than in India
China: 78 years (2024) · India: 72.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in India is 5.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in China
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · India: 23.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 4.3 times as many doctors per person as India
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · India: 0.7 per 1,000 (2020)
How many hospital beds are there?
China has 3.5 times as many hospital beds per person as India
China: 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) · India: 1.6 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in India is 91% higher than in China
China: 8 per 100k (2023) · India: 15.3 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
9.1% of adults in China are obese, versus 8.0% in India
China: 9.1% (2024) · India: 8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
China and India are practically level
China: 22.8% (2024) · India: 22.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 1.54 points higher than in India
China: 6.07 (2025) · India: 4.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in India drink 42% more alcohol than in China
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · India: 5.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 9.1 times as much meat per person as India
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · India: 8.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 858 kcal more food per person per day than India
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · India: 2,669 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in India put in 55 more hours a year than in China
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · India: 2,383 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in China went to school 1.2 years longer than in India
China: 8 years (2023) · India: 6.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
China welcomed 6.9 times as many tourists per resident as India (2019)
China: 0.05 (2019) · India: 0.01 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
China has 16 more World Heritage sites than India (61 against 45)
China: 61 (2026) · India: 45 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
China has won 819 Olympic medals, India 41
China: 819 (2026 edition) · India: 41 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 70% in India
China: 92% (2025) · India: 70% (2025)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in China is 4 times as fast as in India
China: 364 Mbps (2026) · India: 91 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
China and India are practically level
China: 100% (2024) · India: 99.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 36% in India
China: 66% (2025) · India: 36% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, India 79
China: 132 (2024) · India: 79 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 61% longer than India’s
China: 109,767 km (2021) · India: 68,103 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 3.6 times as many passengers per resident as those from India
China: 0.44 (2023) · India: 0.12 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
India and China are practically level
China: 24% (2024) · India: 24.4% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 3.9 times as much CO₂ as someone in India
China: 8.7 t (2024) · India: 2.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in India
China: 37% (2025) · India: 24.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in India carries 41% more fine dust than in China
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · India: 44.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5.6 times as likely to be murdered in India as in China
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · India: 2.8 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in India are 3% deadlier than in China
China: 24.7 per 100k (2023) · India: 25.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
India is on average 16.6 °C warmer than China
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · India: 24.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
India gets 56% more rain than China
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · India: 1,268 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is China bigger than India?
China is larger. India fits inside China 2.9 times.
Which has more people, China or India?
India has 4% more people than China (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or India?
People in China live 5.8 years longer than in India. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 72.2 in India.
Are people taller in China or India?
Men in China are 9.2 cm taller than in India (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
