Australia vs China
Australia vs China: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 11.2 years in Australia and 9.3 years in China, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Australia, by 2 years, or 1.21 times that in China.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Australia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2017.
- In 2020, Australia ranked 19 and China ranked 50 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | Australia | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11.2 | 9.3 |
| 2018 | 11.4 | 9.2 |
| 2017 | 11.6 | 9.7 |
| 2010 | 11.1 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The years of school a child can expect by 18, cut to what students actually learn: the World Bank’s learning-adjusted years of school.
- Source: World Bank Human Capital Index, via Our World in Data.
- Ranks count the 174 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs China
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAustralia: 1.92% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAustralia: $35.3B in 2025China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAustralia: 4.9% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAustralia: 60,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025China: 880 million TIV in 2025