Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside China 104 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 8.1 times as long as Portugal’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 6,498 m above Portugal’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 130 times as many people as Portugal.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Portugal: 10.8 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 27% more densely populated than Portugal.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Portugal: 118 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in China are 1.3 cm taller than in Portugal.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 2.2 cm taller than in Portugal.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 7.1 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Portugal: 46.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Portugal have 0.4 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Portugal: 24.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Portugal has produced 1.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Portugal: 1.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Portugal are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Portugal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 56 times the size of Portugal’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Portugal: $347 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Portugal produces 81% more per person than China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Portugal (Gini 2.1 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Portugal: 33.9 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.2% in Portugal, versus 4.6% in China.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Portugal: 6.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China and Portugal are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Portugal: 1.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Portugal’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Portugal: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Portugal spends 3.9 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Portugal: $2,971 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Portugal live 4.4 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Portugal: 82.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 52% more likely to die before turning one than in Portugal.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 88% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Portugal: 23% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
29% of adults in Portugal smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Portugal: 28.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.04 points higher than in Portugal.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Portugal: 6.03 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 3.7 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 35% more meat per person than China.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 26 kcal more food per person per day than China.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 593 more hours a year than in Portugal.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Portugal went to school 1.7 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Portugal: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 58 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Portugal: 2.71 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 88% in Portugal.
China: 92% (2025) · Portugal: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Portugal are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Portugal: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
66% of people in China live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
China: 66% (2025) · Portugal: 61% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 124.
China: 132 (2024) · Portugal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 43 times as long as Portugal’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Portugal: 2,527 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Portugal fly 3.8 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Portugal: 1.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 36% of Portugal, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Portugal: 36.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 2.5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Portugal.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Portugal: 3.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Portugal: 81% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3 times as much fine dust as in Portugal.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 43% more likely to be murdered in Portugal than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 2.4 times as deadly as in Portugal.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 8.1 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 5% more rain than Portugal.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Portugal?
China is larger. Portugal fits inside China 104 times.
Which has more people, China or Portugal?
China has 130 times as many people as Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Portugal?
People in Portugal live 4.4 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 82.4 in Portugal.
Are people taller in China or Portugal?
Men in China are 1.3 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
