Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside China 32 times
China: 9,562,910 km² (2024) · Italy: 302,070 km² (2024)
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)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Italy, versus 42% of China
China: 41.7% (2024) · Italy: 43.6% (2024)
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 refugees does it host?
Italy hosts 20,025 times as many refugees per resident as China
China: 0.00016 per 1,000 (2025) · Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (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 (2026) · Italy: 3.4 (2026)
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 live on less than $3 a day?
0.9% of people in Italy live on less than $3 a day, versus 0% in China
China: 0% (2022) · Italy: 0.9% (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?
Italy and China are practically level
China: 1.7% (2025) · Italy: 1.9% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, China’s 7.0%
China: 7% (2024) · Italy: 25.6% (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 many hospital beds are there?
China has 84% more hospital beds per person than Italy
China: 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) · Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in China is 40% higher than in Italy
China: 8 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023)
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)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 1 more World Heritage site than China (62 against 61)
China: 61 (2026) · Italy: 62 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Italy has won 829 Olympic medals, China 819
China: 819 (2026 edition) · Italy: 829 (2026 edition)
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)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in China is 33% faster than in Italy
China: 364 Mbps (2026) · Italy: 274 Mbps (2026)
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 32% of Italy, but only 24% of China
China: 24% (2024) · Italy: 31.8% (2024)
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 2.9 times as deadly as in Italy
China: 24.7 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023)
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)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
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).
