CNY
…
KRW
…
Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
1.0% of largest
China is 95.77× larger than South Korea
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
South Korea
3.7% OF LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
China has 27.21× the population of South Korea
GDP
China
LARGEST
$19.5T
South Korea
9.6% OF LARGEST
$1.87T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
South Korea
27.3% OF LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
China has 3.67× the active personnel of South Korea
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
South Korea
48.1% OF LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
China has 2.08× the aircraft of South Korea
Naval Assets
China
South Korea
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
South Korea
4.6% OF LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
South Korea
12.9% OF LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
South Korea
6% OF MOST
30
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
South Korea
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
2.7M b/d
−2.7M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
South Korea
$831.9B
Exports
$831.9B
Imports
$755.5B
Trade Balance
+$76.4B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
China
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
South Korea
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
South Korea
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
South Korea
145
Gold
134
Silver
130
Bronze
409
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 320
❄ Winter: 89
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
South Korea
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Korea
44.9
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
South Korea is 5.9 years older (median) than China
Youth Population
China has the highest youth population at 36.5% (under 30)
Elderly Population
South Korea has the highest elderly population at 25.3% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
193
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
11.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
0
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
12
|
1
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
56
|
17
|
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
|
South Korea
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $40 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $800 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $500 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $140 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $25 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $45 |
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
South Korea
China
Physicians per 1,000
China
South Korea
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
China
Diabetes prevalence
China
South Korea
Obesity prevalence
China
South Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
China
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for China vs South Korea — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1406585000 | 51684564 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 100210 |
| Capital | Beijing | Seoul |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Korean |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 555,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 3,100,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 3,655,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $46,700,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 2,321 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 3,100 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 1,836 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 1,700 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 600 |
Economy
| Metric | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $19,498,039,388,043 | $1,872,374,961,553 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $13,862 | $36,227 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.6% | 2.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 36.0 | 32.9 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | South Korean Won (KRW) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 95.8 times larger in area than South Korea.
That's a massive difference!
China has 27.2 times more people than South Korea.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
South Korea has the highest GDP per capita at $36,227 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.
China vs South Korea: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $19.5T is 10.4x larger than South Korea's $1.9T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 27.2x larger than South Korea's 52M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 95.8x larger than South Korea.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs South Korea's 560Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B.
Life Expectancy: South Korea leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs China's 78.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology