Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The Philippines fits inside China 32 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Philippines: 300,000 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The Philippines’ coastline is 2.5 times as long as China’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Philippines: 36,289 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 5,895 m above the Philippines’.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Philippines: 2,954 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 12 times as many people as the Philippines.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Philippines: 117 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The Philippines is 2.6 times as densely populated as China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Philippines: 392 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 10.4 cm taller than in the Philippines.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Philippines: 165.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 9.3 cm taller than in the Philippines.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Philippines: 154.1 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in China is 14 years older than in the Philippines.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Philippines: 25.3 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the Philippines have 0.9 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Philippines: 1.89 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
15% of people in China are 65 or older, versus 5.7% in the Philippines.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Philippines: 5.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The Philippines and China are practically level.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Philippines: 0.1 (2025)
How many official languages?
The Philippines has 2 official languages, China 1.
China: 1 (2026) · Philippines: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 40 times the size of the Philippines’.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Philippines: $487 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
China produces 2.3 times as much per person as the Philippines.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Philippines: Int$12,577 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the Philippines than in China (Gini 3.3 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Philippines: 39.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 2.2% in the Philippines.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Philippines: 2.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China and the Philippines are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Philippines: 1.3% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× the Philippines’.
China: 47% (2025) · Philippines: 33% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
China spends 3.9 times as much on health per person as the Philippines.
China: $763 (2023) · Philippines: $194 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 8.1 years longer than in the Philippines.
China: 78 years (2024) · Philippines: 69.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the Philippines is 5.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in China.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Philippines: 21.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 3.9 times as many doctors per person as the Philippines.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Philippines: 0.8 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
9.7% of adults in the Philippines are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Philippines: 9.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 20% in the Philippines.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Philippines: 19.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the Philippines rate their lives 0.13 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Philippines: 6.21 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the Philippines drink 65% more alcohol than in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Philippines: 6.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
China has 2.2 times as much meat per person as the Philippines.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Philippines: 33.6 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 544 kcal more food per person per day than the Philippines.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Philippines: 2,983 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 232 more hours a year than in the Philippines.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Philippines: 2,096 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the Philippines went to school 1.9 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Philippines: 10 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
China welcomed 2 times as many tourists per resident as the Philippines (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Philippines: 0.02 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 67% in the Philippines.
China: 92% (2025) · Philippines: 67% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in China have electricity, versus 95% in the Philippines.
China: 100% (2024) · Philippines: 94.8% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 56% in the Philippines.
China: 66% (2025) · Philippines: 56% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the Philippines 115.
China: 132 (2024) · Philippines: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 216 times as long as the Philippines’.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Philippines: 509 km (2016)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from China fly 24% more passengers per resident than those from the Philippines.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Philippines: 0.36 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
The Philippines and China are practically level.
China: 24% (2023) · Philippines: 24.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 5.7 times as much CO₂ as someone in the Philippines.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Philippines: 1.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 23% in the Philippines.
China: 37% (2025) · Philippines: 23.3% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 35% more fine dust than in the Philippines.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Philippines: 23.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 8.7 times as likely to be murdered in the Philippines as in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Philippines: 4.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 79% deadlier than in the Philippines.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Philippines: 9.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The Philippines is on average 18.5 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Philippines: 26.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The Philippines gets 3.7 times as much rain as China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Philippines: 3,001 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than the Philippines?
China is larger. The Philippines fits inside China 32 times.
Which has more people, China or the Philippines?
China has 12 times as many people as the Philippines (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or the Philippines?
People in China live 8.1 years longer than in the Philippines. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 69.9 in the Philippines.
Are people taller in China or the Philippines?
Men in China are 10.4 cm taller than in the Philippines (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
