CNY
…
GBP
…
Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
United Kingdom
243,610 km²
2.5% of largest
China is 39.39× larger than United Kingdom
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
United Kingdom
4.9% OF LARGEST
69.49M
PEOPLE
China has 20.24× the population of United Kingdom
GDP
China
LARGEST
$19.5T
United Kingdom
20.5% OF LARGEST
$4.0T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
United Kingdom
7.5% OF LARGEST
153.29K
TROOPS
China has 13.28× the active personnel of United Kingdom
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
United Kingdom
22.3% OF LARGEST
733
AIRCRAFT
China has 4.48× the aircraft of United Kingdom
Naval Assets
China
United Kingdom
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
United Kingdom
13.6% OF LARGEST
310.3
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
United Kingdom
4.6% OF LARGEST
$149B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
United Kingdom
35% OF MOST
165
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
United Kingdom
9.6% OF LARGEST
2.5
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
United Kingdom
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.8M b/d
Consumption
1.5M b/d
−0.8M 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 Kingdom
$1,142.1B
Exports
$1,142.1B
Imports
$1,174.2B
Trade Balance
$-32.1B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
China
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
China
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
United Kingdom
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
United Kingdom
320
Gold
348
Silver
362
Bronze
1,030
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 991
❄ Winter: 39
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
United Kingdom
Age Demographics
Median Age
United Kingdom
40.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
United Kingdom is 1.6 years older (median) than China
Youth Population
China has the highest youth population at 36.5% (under 30)
Elderly Population
United Kingdom has the highest elderly population at 23.4% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
188
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
37.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
137
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
12
|
10
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
56
|
34
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $15 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $65 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $1,500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $1,100 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $190 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $85 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
United Kingdom
China
Physicians per 1,000
United Kingdom
China
Hospital beds per 1,000
China
United Kingdom
Diabetes prevalence
China
United Kingdom
Obesity prevalence
United Kingdom
China
Suicide rate per 100k
United Kingdom
China
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for China vs United Kingdom — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | China | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1406585000 | 69487000 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 243610 |
| Capital | Beijing | London |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | English |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 153,290 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 81,500 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 234,790 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $68,400,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 227 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 5,015 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 89 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 126 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 44 |
Economy
| Metric | China | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $19,498,039,388,043 | $4,002,587,541,846 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $13,862 | $57,602 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 36.0 | 32.4 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 39.4 times larger in area than United Kingdom.
That's a massive difference!
China has 20.2 times more people than United Kingdom.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
United Kingdom has the highest GDP per capita at $57,602 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$19.5 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.
UK Fact: The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, opening in 1863.
China vs United Kingdom: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $19.5T is 4.9x larger than United Kingdom's $4.0T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 20.2x larger than United Kingdom's 69M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 39.4x larger than United Kingdom.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs United Kingdom's 150Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while United Kingdom has a trade deficit of $32B.
Life Expectancy: United Kingdom leads with a life expectancy of 81 years vs China's 78.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology