Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
United Arab Emirates
83,600 km²
0.9% of largest
China is 114.80× larger than United Arab Emirates
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
United Arab Emirates
0.7% OF LARGEST
9.89M
PEOPLE
China has 142.83× the population of United Arab Emirates
GDP
China
LARGEST
$17.96T
United Arab Emirates
2.3% OF LARGEST
$421.14B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
United Arab Emirates
3.1% OF LARGEST
63K
TROOPS
China has 32.30× the active personnel of United Arab Emirates
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
United Arab Emirates
16.8% OF LARGEST
552
AIRCRAFT
China has 5.95× the aircraft of United Arab Emirates
Naval Assets
China
United Arab Emirates
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
United Arab Emirates
3.3% OF LARGEST
74.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
United Arab Emirates
7.1% OF LARGEST
$232B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
United Arab Emirates
4% OF MOST
18
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
United Arab Emirates
LARGEST
113
Billion barrels
China
23.0% OF LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
United Arab Emirates
NET EXPORTER
Production
3.7M b/d
Consumption
1.0M b/d
+2.8M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
United Arab Emirates
$558.4B
Exports
$558.4B
Imports
$481.9B
Trade Balance
+$76.6B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
United Arab Emirates
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
United Arab Emirates
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
United Arab Emirates
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
United Arab Emirates
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
China
consumption
United Arab Emirates
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
United Arab Emirates
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
United Arab Emirates
1
Gold
0
Silver
1
Bronze
2
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 2
❄ Winter: 0
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
United Arab Emirates
Age Demographics
Median Age
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
United Arab Emirates
33.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
China is 5.8 years older (median) than United Arab Emirates
Youth Population
United Arab Emirates has the highest youth population at 41% (under 30)
Elderly Population
China has the highest elderly population at 19.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
United Arab Emirates
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
185
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
25.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
9
|
1
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
United Arab Emirates
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
N/A |
| Rent Index |
|
N/A |
| Groceries Index |
|
N/A |
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
N/A |
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
N/A |
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | N/A |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | N/A |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | N/A |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | N/A |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | N/A |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | N/A |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | China | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1412600000 | 9890402 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 83600 |
| Capital | Beijing | Abu Dhabi |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Arabic |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Federal elective constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 63,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 0 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 63,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $22,755,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 538 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 2,000 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 181 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 93 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 88 |
Economy
| Metric | China | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $17,963,200,000,000 | $421,142,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $12,720 | $42,580 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.0% | 2.4% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.5 | 32.5 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| China Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 1.8539 Stronger |
| United Arab Emirates Currency | 0.5394 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | CNY | AED |
| 1 USD equals | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 3.6725 AED Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 114.8 times larger in area than United Arab Emirates.
That's a massive difference!
China has 142.8 times more people than United Arab Emirates.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
United Arab Emirates has the highest GDP per capita at $42,580 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$17.96 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 aircraft.
China has the largest navy with 777 vessels.
China Fact: China produces more than 1.4 billion tons of rice annually, feeding nearly 20% of the world's population.
China vs United Arab Emirates: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $18.0T is 42.7x larger than United Arab Emirates's $421B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 142.8x larger than United Arab Emirates's 10M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 114.8x larger than United Arab Emirates.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs United Arab Emirates's 63Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while United Arab Emirates runs a trade surplus of $77B.
Life Expectancy: United Arab Emirates leads with a life expectancy of 78 years vs China's 77.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology