Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Netherlands fits inside China 230 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Netherlands: 41,540 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 32 times as long as the Netherlands’.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 451 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 7,987 m above the Netherlands’.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Netherlands: 862 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 78 times as many people as the Netherlands.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Netherlands: 18.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Netherlands is 3.6 times as densely populated as China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Netherlands: 537 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in the Netherlands are 8.1 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 183.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in the Netherlands are 6.9 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Netherlands: 170.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in the Netherlands is 2.3 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Netherlands: 41.4 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Netherlands have 0.4 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Netherlands: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
21% of people in the Netherlands are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Netherlands: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Netherlands has produced 11.1 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Netherlands: 11.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and the Netherlands are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Netherlands: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 15 times the size of the Netherlands’.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Netherlands: $1.33 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The Netherlands produces 3 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Netherlands: Int$87,320 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in the Netherlands (Gini 10.3 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Netherlands: 25.7 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 3.9% in the Netherlands.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Netherlands: 3.9% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The Netherlands and China are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Netherlands: 1.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The Netherlands’ price level (US = 100) is 1.8× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Netherlands: 84% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The Netherlands spends 9 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Netherlands: $6,845 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in the Netherlands live 3.9 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Netherlands: 82 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in the Netherlands.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The Netherlands has 25% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Netherlands: 3.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
17% of adults in the Netherlands are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Netherlands: 16.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 21% in the Netherlands.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Netherlands: 20.5% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Netherlands rate their lives 1.15 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Netherlands: 7.22 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Netherlands drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Netherlands: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 3% more meat per person than the Netherlands.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Netherlands: 71.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 60 kcal more food per person per day than the Netherlands.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Netherlands: 3,467 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 889 more hours a year than in the Netherlands.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Netherlands: 1,439 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Netherlands went to school 4.6 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Netherlands: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
The Netherlands welcomed 19 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Netherlands: 0.91 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
97% of people in the Netherlands are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · Netherlands: 97% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and the Netherlands are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Netherlands: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
96% of people in the Netherlands live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Netherlands: 96% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Netherlands 129.
China: 132 (2024) · Netherlands: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 36 times as long as the Netherlands’.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Netherlands: 3,041 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the Netherlands fly 5.2 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Netherlands: 2.29 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 24% of China, but only 11% of the Netherlands.
China: 24% (2023) · Netherlands: 11.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 38% more CO₂ than someone in the Netherlands.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Netherlands: 6.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
51% of the Netherlands’ electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Netherlands: 51.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3.3 times as much fine dust as in the Netherlands.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Netherlands: 9.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 38% more likely to be murdered in the Netherlands than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Netherlands: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 5.1 times as deadly as in the Netherlands.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Netherlands: 3.4 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Netherlands is on average 3.4 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 11.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Netherlands gets 9% more rain than China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Netherlands: 887 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than the Netherlands?
China is larger. The Netherlands fits inside China 230 times.
Which has more people, China or the Netherlands?
China has 78 times as many people as the Netherlands (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or the Netherlands?
People in the Netherlands live 3.9 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 82.0 in the Netherlands.
Are people taller in China or the Netherlands?
Men in the Netherlands are 8.1 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
