CNY
…
RUB
…
Land Area
Russia
17,098,246 km²
Largest
China
9,596,961 km²
56.1% of largest
Russia is 1.78× larger than China
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
Russia
10.2% OF LARGEST
143.51M
PEOPLE
China has 9.80× the population of Russia
GDP
China
LARGEST
$19.5T
Russia
13.1% OF LARGEST
$2.56T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
Russia
44.2% OF LARGEST
900K
TROOPS
China has 2.26× the active personnel of Russia
Air Force
Russia
LARGEST
4.17K
AIRCRAFT
China
78.7% OF LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
Russia has 1.27× the aircraft of China
Naval Assets
China
Russia
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
2,332.8
Metric Tonnes
China
97.7% OF LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
Russia
12.6% OF LARGEST
$413B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
Russia
25% OF MOST
120
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
80
Billion barrels
China
32.5% 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
Russia
NET EXPORTER
Production
10.8M b/d
Consumption
3.7M b/d
+7.1M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
Russia
$476.4B
Exports
$476.4B
Imports
$382.4B
Trade Balance
+$94.0B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
China
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
China
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Russia
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Russia
China
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
Russia
192
Gold
164
Silver
184
Bronze
540
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 422
❄ Winter: 118
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
Russia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Russia
39.2
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
Russia is 0.2 years older (median) than China
Youth Population
China has the highest youth population at 36.5% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Russia has the highest elderly population at 22% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
119
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
24.4M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
32
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
12
|
0
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
56
|
32
|
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
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 | $35 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $400 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $85 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $12 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $25 |
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
Russia
China
Physicians per 1,000
Russia
China
Hospital beds per 1,000
Russia
China
Diabetes prevalence
China
Russia
Obesity prevalence
Russia
China
Suicide rate per 100k
Russia
China
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for China vs Russia — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | China | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1406585000 | 143513328 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 17098246 |
| Capital | Beijing | Moscow |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | Russian |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Federal semi-presidential republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 900,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 2,000,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 3,350,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $154,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 12,420 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 30,122 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 6,574 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 7,571 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 3,391 |
Economy
| Metric | China | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $19,498,039,388,043 | $2,561,310,169,359 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $13,862 | $17,847 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.6% | 2.1% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 36.0 | 33.0 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Russia is 1.8 times larger in area than China.
China has 9.8 times more people than Russia.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
Russia has the highest GDP per capita at $17,847 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.
Russia has the largest air force with 4,173 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.
Russia Fact: Russia spans 11 time zones, more than any other country in the world.
China vs Russia: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $19.5T is 7.6x larger than Russia's $2.6T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 9.8x larger than Russia's 144M.
Area: Russia covers 17,098,246 km², making it 1.8x larger than China.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs Russia's 900Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while Russia runs a trade surplus of $94B.
Life Expectancy: China leads with a life expectancy of 78 years vs Russia's 73.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology