Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
South Korea fits inside China 95 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · South Korea: 100,450 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 6 times as long as South Korea’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · South Korea: 2,413 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 6,899 m above South Korea’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · South Korea: 1,950 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 27 times as many people as South Korea.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · South Korea: 51.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
South Korea is 3.5 times as densely populated as China.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · South Korea: 530 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
China and South Korea are practically level.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · South Korea: 175.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
China and South Korea are practically level.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · South Korea: 163.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in South Korea is 5.4 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · South Korea: 44.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in China have 0.3 more children on average than in South Korea.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · South Korea: 0.75 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
20% of people in South Korea are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · South Korea: 20.3% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
South Korea has produced 0.6 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · South Korea: 0.6 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and South Korea are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · South Korea: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 10 times the size of South Korea’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · South Korea: $1.87 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
South Korea produces 2.2 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · South Korea: Int$63,125 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in South Korea (Gini 3.1 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · South Korea: 32.9 (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in China, versus 2.7% in South Korea.
China: 4.6% (2025) · South Korea: 2.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
South Korea spends 2.6% of its GDP on the military, China 1.7%.
China: 1.7% (2024) · South Korea: 2.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
South Korea’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · South Korea: 57% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
South Korea spends 4.1 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · South Korea: $3,137 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in South Korea live 5.6 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · South Korea: 83.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 78% more likely to die before turning one than in South Korea.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · South Korea: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
China has 19% more doctors per person than South Korea.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · South Korea: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
9.1% of adults in China are obese, versus 7.5% in South Korea.
China: 9.1% (2024) · South Korea: 7.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
23% of adults in China smoke, versus 19% in South Korea.
China: 22.8% (2024) · South Korea: 18.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in China rate their lives 0.03 points higher than in South Korea.
China: 6.07 (2025) · South Korea: 6.04 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in South Korea drink 2.2 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · South Korea: 8.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
South Korea has 14% more meat per person than China.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · South Korea: 84 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 97 kcal more food per person per day than South Korea.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · South Korea: 3,430 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 418 more hours a year than in South Korea.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · South Korea: 1,910 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in South Korea went to school 4.7 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · South Korea: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
South Korea welcomed 6.8 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · South Korea: 0.32 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
98% of people in South Korea are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · South Korea: 98% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and South Korea are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · South Korea: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in South Korea live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · South Korea: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Korea has 173 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, China 132.
China: 132 (2024) · South Korea: 173 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 25 times as long as South Korea’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · South Korea: 4,309 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from South Korea fly 3.4 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · South Korea: 1.48 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 64% of South Korea, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · South Korea: 64.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Korea emits 30% more CO₂ than someone in China.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · South Korea: 11.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 10% in South Korea.
China: 37% (2025) · South Korea: 10.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 49% more fine dust than in South Korea.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · South Korea: 21 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5% more likely to be murdered in China than in South Korea.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · South Korea: 0.5 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 2.5 times as deadly as in South Korea.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · South Korea: 6.9 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Korea is on average 5.3 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 13.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
South Korea gets 56% more rain than China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Korea: 1,265 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than South Korea?
China is larger. South Korea fits inside China 95 times.
Which has more people, China or South Korea?
China has 27 times as many people as South Korea (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or South Korea?
People in South Korea live 5.6 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 83.6 in South Korea.
Are people taller in China or South Korea?
China and South Korea are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
