Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Spain fits inside China 19 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · Spain: 505,976 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 2.9 times as long as Spain’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 5,131 m above Spain’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 28 times as many people as Spain.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 52% more densely populated than Spain.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Spain and China are practically level.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · Spain: 176.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in China are 1.4 cm taller than in Spain.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · Spain: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Spain is 5.8 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Spain have 0.1 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 children per woman (2024) · Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
22% of people in Spain are 65 or older, versus 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Spain has produced 1.4 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · Spain: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and Spain are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · Spain: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 10 times the size of Spain’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Spain produces 2 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in Spain (Gini 2.6 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · Spain: 33.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Spain, versus 4.6% in China.
China: 4.6% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
China and Spain are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · Spain: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Spain’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Spain spends 4.1 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Spain live 5.9 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · Spain: 83.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 58% more likely to die before turning one than in Spain.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Spain has 38% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
19% of adults in Spain are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
28% of adults in Spain smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Spain rate their lives 0.47 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Spain drink 3.3 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Spain has 37% more meat per person than China.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 150 kcal more food per person per day than Spain.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 690 more hours a year than in Spain.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · Spain: 1,638 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Spain went to school 2.7 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · Spain: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Spain welcomed 41 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Spain are online, versus 92% in China.
China: 92% (2025) · Spain: 96% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and Spain are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · Spain: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in Spain live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · Spain: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 130.
China: 132 (2024) · Spain: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 6.9 times as long as Spain’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Spain fly 4.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · Spain: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Spain, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · Spain: 37.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 88% more CO₂ than someone in Spain.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · Spain: 4.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Spain’s electricity is renewable, versus 37% in China.
China: 37% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3.1 times as much fine dust as in Spain.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 38% more likely to be murdered in Spain than in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 5 times as deadly as in Spain.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · Spain: 3.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Spain is on average 7.0 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
China gets 22% more rain than Spain.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than Spain?
China is larger. Spain fits inside China 19 times.
Which has more people, China or Spain?
China has 28 times as many people as Spain (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or Spain?
People in Spain live 5.9 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 83.9 in Spain.
Are people taller in China or Spain?
Spain and China are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
