China vs Saudi Arabia
China vs Saudi Arabia: Learning-adjusted schooling
Learning-adjusted schooling in 2020: 9.3 years in China and 7.9 years in Saudi Arabia, by World Bank estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 1.4 years, or 1.18 times that in Saudi Arabia.
years · World Bank
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2017.
- In 2020, China ranked 50 and Saudi Arabia ranked 87 of 174 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
years · World Bank
| Year | China | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9.3 | 7.9 |
| 2018 | 9.2 | 8 |
| 2017 | 9.7 | 8.1 |
| 2010 | – | 7.4 |
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
China vs Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Saudi Arabia: $81.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023