Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside China 32 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Italy: 302,070 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 91% longer than Italy’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 4,101 m above Italy’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 24 times as many people as Italy.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Italy: 58.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 33% more densely populated than China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Italy: 199 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 1.2 cm taller than in Italy.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Italy: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 1.7 cm taller than in Italy.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Italy: 161.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 8.4 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Italy: 47.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Italy have 0.2 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Italy: 25.1% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Italy has produced 3.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Italy: 3.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Italy are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Italy: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 7.6 times the size of Italy’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Italy produces 2.1 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Italy: Int$62,803 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Italy (Gini 1.7 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Italy: 34.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 4.6% in China.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Italy: 6.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China and Italy are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Italy: 1.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Italy’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Italy: 69% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Italy spends 4.5 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Italy: $3,398 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 5.9 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Italy: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 78% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 35% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
18% of adults in Italy are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Italy: 17.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
China and Italy are practically level.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Italy: 22.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Italy rate their lives 0.50 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Italy: 6.57 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Italy drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Italy: 8.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 3% more meat per person than Italy.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Italy: 71.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 226 kcal more food per person per day than China.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 626 more hours a year than in Italy.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Italy: 1,701 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Italy went to school 2.8 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Italy: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 21 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Italy: 0.98 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 89% in Italy.
China: 92% (2025) · Italy: 89% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Italy are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Italy: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
70% of people in Italy live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Italy: 70% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132.
China: 132 (2024) · Italy: 133 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 6.3 times as long as Italy’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Italy: 17,305 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 28% more passengers per resident than those from Italy.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Italy: 0.34 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Italy, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Italy: 32.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 70% more CO₂ than someone in Italy.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Italy: 5.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Italy: 48.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 2.1 times as much fine dust as in Italy.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 13% more likely to be murdered in Italy than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 3.5 times as deadly as in Italy.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Italy: 5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy is on average 6.1 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Italy gets 27% more rain than China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Italy?
China is larger. Italy fits inside China 32 times.
Which has more people, China or Italy?
China has 24 times as many people as Italy (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Italy?
People in Italy live 5.9 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 84.0 in Italy.
Are people taller in China or Italy?
Men in China are 1.2 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
