Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Nepal fits inside China 65 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Nepal: 147,180 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Nepal: 0 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China and Nepal are practically level.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Nepal: 8,849 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 47 times as many people as Nepal.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Nepal: 29.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Nepal is 38% more densely populated than China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Nepal: 207 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 11.3 cm taller than in Nepal.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Nepal: 164.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 11.1 cm taller than in Nepal.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Nepal: 152.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 14 years older than in Nepal.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Nepal: 24.7 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Nepal have 0.9 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Nepal: 1.96 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 6.6% in Nepal.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Nepal: 6.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
China has produced 0.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Nepal 0.0.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Nepal: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Nepal are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Nepal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 429 times the size of Nepal’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Nepal: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 4.8 times as much per person as Nepal.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Nepal: Int$6,175 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Nepal (Gini 6 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Nepal: 30 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Nepal, versus 4.6% in China.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Nepal: 10.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China spends 1.7% of its GDP on the military, Nepal 1.0%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Nepal: 1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.9× Nepal’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Nepal: 25% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 9.1 times as much on health per person as Nepal.
China: $763 (2023) · Nepal: $84 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 7.4 years longer than in Nepal.
China: 78 years (2024) · Nepal: 70.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Nepal is 5.4 times as likely to die before turning one as in China.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Nepal: 22.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 3.1 times as many doctors per person as Nepal.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Nepal: 1 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
9.1% of adults in China are obese, versus 7.7% in Nepal.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Nepal: 7.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Nepal smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Nepal: 28.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.93 points higher than in Nepal.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Nepal: 5.15 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in China drink 87% more alcohol than in Nepal.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Nepal: 2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 5.1 times as much meat per person as Nepal.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Nepal: 14.5 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 607 kcal more food per person per day than Nepal.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Nepal: 2,920 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Nepal: no data
How long do people go to school?
Adults in China went to school 3.5 years longer than in Nepal.
China: 8 years (2023) · Nepal: 4.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
China welcomed 2.3 times as many tourists per resident as Nepal (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Nepal: 0.02 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 46% in Nepal.
China: 92% (2025) · Nepal: 46% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in China have electricity, versus 98% in Nepal.
China: 100% (2024) · Nepal: 97.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
67% of people in Nepal live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Nepal: 67% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Nepal 100.
China: 132 (2024) · Nepal: 100 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 1,860 times as long as Nepal’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Nepal: 59 km (2018)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 3 times as many passengers per resident as those from Nepal.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Nepal: 0.14 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 42% of Nepal, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Nepal: 41.6% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 14 times as much CO₂ as someone in Nepal.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Nepal: 0.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
100% of Nepal’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Nepal: 100% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in Nepal carries 30% more fine dust than in China.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Nepal: 40.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4.2 times as likely to be murdered in Nepal as in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Nepal: 2.1 per 100k (2020)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Nepal are 62% deadlier than in China.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Nepal: 28.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Nepal is on average 5.8 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Nepal: 13.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Nepal gets 2.7 times as much rain as China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Nepal: 2,197 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Nepal?
China is larger. Nepal fits inside China 65 times.
Which has more people, China or Nepal?
China has 47 times as many people as Nepal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Nepal?
People in China live 7.4 years longer than in Nepal. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 70.6 in Nepal.
Are people taller in China or Nepal?
Men in China are 11.3 cm taller than in Nepal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
