Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Indonesia fits inside China 5 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Indonesia: 1,916,910 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Indonesia’s coastline is 3.8 times as long as China’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Indonesia: 54,716 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 3,965 m above Indonesia’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Indonesia: 4,884 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 4.9 times as many people as Indonesia.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Indonesia: 286 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Indonesia and China are nearly identical here.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Indonesia: 151 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 9.4 cm taller than in Indonesia.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Indonesia: 166.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 9.1 cm taller than in Indonesia.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Indonesia: 154.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 9.2 years older than in Indonesia.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Indonesia: 29.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Indonesia have 1.1 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Indonesia: 2.12 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 7.5% in Indonesia.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Indonesia: 7.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Indonesia 0.0.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Indonesia: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Indonesia are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Indonesia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 13 times the size of Indonesia’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Indonesia: $1.45 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 66% more per person than Indonesia.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Indonesia: Int$17,660 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Indonesia (Gini 1.6 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Indonesia: 34.4 (2025)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 3.2% in Indonesia.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Indonesia: 3.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China spends 1.7% of its GDP on the military, Indonesia 0.8%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Indonesia: 0.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× Indonesia’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Indonesia: 29% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 5.8 times as much on health per person as Indonesia.
China: $763 (2023) · Indonesia: $132 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 6.7 years longer than in Indonesia.
China: 78 years (2024) · Indonesia: 71.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Indonesia is 3.7 times as likely to die before turning one as in China.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Indonesia: 15.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 5.9 times as many doctors per person as Indonesia.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Indonesia: 0.5 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
12% of adults in Indonesia are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Indonesia: 12% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
31% of adults in Indonesia smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Indonesia: 31% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.46 points higher than in Indonesia.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Indonesia: 5.62 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in China drink 36 times as much alcohol as in Indonesia.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Indonesia: 0.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 3.7 times as much meat per person as Indonesia.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Indonesia: 20 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 627 kcal more food per person per day than Indonesia.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Indonesia: 2,900 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 369 more hours a year than in Indonesia.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Indonesia: 1,958 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Indonesia went to school 0.66 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Indonesia: 8.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Indonesia welcomed 3% more tourists per resident than China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Indonesia: 0.05 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 73% in Indonesia.
China: 92% (2025) · Indonesia: 73% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Indonesia are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Indonesia: 99.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 59% in Indonesia.
China: 66% (2025) · Indonesia: 59% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Indonesia 123.
China: 132 (2024) · Indonesia: 123 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 20 times as long as Indonesia’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Indonesia: 5,483 km (2019)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 30% more passengers per resident than those from Indonesia.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Indonesia: 0.34 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 48% of Indonesia, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Indonesia: 47.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 3 times as much CO₂ as someone in Indonesia.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Indonesia: 2.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 18% in Indonesia.
China: 37% (2025) · Indonesia: 18.1% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 69% more fine dust than in Indonesia.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Indonesia: 18.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 65% more likely to be murdered in China than in Indonesia.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Indonesia: 0.3 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 54% deadlier than in Indonesia.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Indonesia: 11.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Indonesia is on average 17.8 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Indonesia: 25.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Indonesia gets 4.2 times as much rain as China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Indonesia: 3,437 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Indonesia?
China is larger. Indonesia fits inside China 5 times.
Which has more people, China or Indonesia?
China has 4.9 times as many people as Indonesia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Indonesia?
People in China live 6.7 years longer than in Indonesia. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 71.3 in Indonesia.
Are people taller in China or Indonesia?
Men in China are 9.4 cm taller than in Indonesia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
