Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Malaysia fits inside China 29 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Malaysia: 330,411 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 3.1 times as long as Malaysia’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,675 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 4,754 m above Malaysia’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Malaysia: 4,095 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 39 times as many people as Malaysia.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Malaysia: 36 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 37% more densely populated than Malaysia.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Malaysia: 110 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 6.5 cm taller than in Malaysia.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 169.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 6.4 cm taller than in Malaysia.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Malaysia: 157.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 9 years older than in Malaysia.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Malaysia: 30.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Malaysia have 0.5 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Malaysia: 1.54 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 8.0% in Malaysia.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Malaysia: 8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Malaysia 0.0.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Malaysia: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Malaysia has 2 official languages, China 1.
China: 1 (2026) · Malaysia: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 41 times the size of Malaysia’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Malaysia: $472 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Malaysia produces 41% more per person than China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Malaysia: Int$41,498 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Malaysia than in China (Gini 4.7 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Malaysia: 40.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 3.8% in Malaysia.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Malaysia: 3.8% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China spends 1.7% of its GDP on the military, Malaysia 1.0%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Malaysia: 1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.5× Malaysia’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Malaysia: 32% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 70% more on health per person than Malaysia.
China: $763 (2023) · Malaysia: $450 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 1.2 years longer than in Malaysia.
China: 78 years (2024) · Malaysia: 76.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Malaysia is 71% more likely to die before turning one than in China.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Malaysia: 7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 33% more doctors per person than Malaysia.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Malaysia: 2.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Malaysia are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Malaysia: 23.6% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 17% in Malaysia.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Malaysia: 16.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.07 points higher than in Malaysia.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Malaysia: 6.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in China drink 4.6 times as much alcohol as in Malaysia.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Malaysia: 0.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 6% more meat per person than Malaysia.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Malaysia: 69.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 600 kcal more food per person per day than Malaysia.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Malaysia: 2,927 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 20 more hours a year than in Malaysia.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Malaysia: 2,308 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Malaysia went to school 3.1 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Malaysia: 11.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Malaysia welcomed 6.2 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Malaysia: 0.29 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in Malaysia are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · Malaysia: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Malaysia are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Malaysia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
77% of people in Malaysia live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Malaysia: 77% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Malaysia has 140 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132.
China: 132 (2024) · Malaysia: 140 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 66 times as long as Malaysia’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Malaysia: 1,655 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Malaysia fly 2.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Malaysia: 1.3 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 58% of Malaysia, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Malaysia: 57.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 6% more CO₂ than someone in Malaysia.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Malaysia: 8.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 21% in Malaysia.
China: 37% (2025) · Malaysia: 20.7% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 2 times as much fine dust as in Malaysia.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Malaysia: 15.3 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 46% more likely to be murdered in Malaysia than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Malaysia: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 25% deadlier than in Malaysia.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Malaysia: 13.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Malaysia is on average 18.2 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 26°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Malaysia gets 3.8 times as much rain as China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Malaysia: 3,081 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Malaysia?
China is larger. Malaysia fits inside China 29 times.
Which has more people, China or Malaysia?
China has 39 times as many people as Malaysia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Malaysia?
People in China live 1.2 years longer than in Malaysia. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 76.8 in Malaysia.
Are people taller in China or Malaysia?
Men in China are 6.5 cm taller than in Malaysia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
