Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Russia is 79% bigger than China.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 2.6 times as long as China’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 3,207 m above Russia’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 9.8 times as many people as Russia.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 17 times as densely populated as Russia.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Russia are 1.0 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Russia are 1.1 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Russia is 0.39 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Russia have 0.4 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
18% of people in Russia are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Russia has produced 2.0 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Russia: 2 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Russia are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 7.6 times the size of Russia’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Russia produces 69% more per person than China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Russia (Gini 3 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 2.1% in Russia.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.1% of its GDP on the military, China 1.7%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Russia: 7.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
China’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Russia’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Russia spends 31% more on health per person than China.
China: $763 (2023) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in China live 4.6 years longer than in Russia.
China: 78 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
China and Russia are nearly identical here.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 64% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.24 points higher than in Russia.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 2.8 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 15% more meat per person than China.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia and China are practically level.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 241 more hours a year than in Russia.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Russia went to school 4.4 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
China: 0.05 (2019) · Russia: no data
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Russia are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · Russia: 94% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Russia are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
75% of people in Russia live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132.
China: 132 (2024) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 28% longer than Russia’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Russia fly 56% more passengers per resident than those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 50% of Russia, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Russia: 49.8% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 42% more CO₂ than someone in China.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia.
China: 37% (2025) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 2.4 times as much fine dust as in Russia.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 16 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 64% deadlier than in Russia.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Russia: 10.6 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
China is on average 10.4 °C warmer than Russia.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 39% more rain than Russia.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. Russia is 79% bigger than China.
Which has more people, China or Russia?
China has 9.8 times as many people as Russia (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Russia?
People in China live 4.6 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in China or Russia?
Men in Russia are 1.0 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
