Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
India fits inside China 2.9 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · India: 3,287,260 km² (2023)
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)
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 Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, India 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · India: 0.1 (2025)
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 10.5 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · India: 25.5 (2022)
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% (2024) · India: 2.3% (2024)
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 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)
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)
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?
Forest covers 25% of India, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · India: 24.5% (2023)
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 China are 19% deadlier than in India.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · India: 14.6 per 100k (2021)
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)
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).
