Life in China: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)

The story of China is written in the sharp ascent of its fundamental human metrics. Behind these figures lies a profound transformation in daily existence, where the risk of child mortality has collapsed from 151.11 per 1,000 births down to 7.3 per 1,000 births. With extreme poverty falling from 27.99 to 0.1 %, the struggle for basic survival has shifted toward the complexities of a modern, interconnected society. Today, 70 % of the population enjoys internet access, and electricity at home has reached 100 %, marking a total change in how millions experience the world.

The arc from 1950 to the 2020s shows a nation reshaping its own physical and social landscape. Life expectancy at birth climbed from 45.76 to 78.1 years, while the average male height rose from 163 to 172 cm. Education expanded from 2.26 years of schooling to 8 years, and urbanization grew from 17.24 to 61.4 %. Meanwhile, the social structure has undergone a quiet revolution, as the number of children per woman dropped from 4.61 to 1.28 births, altering the rhythm of family life across the vast Chinese landscape.

A child born in China in the 2020s can expect to live 78.1 years on an average income of 16,300 international dollars. While annual working hours have eased from 2,638 to 2,150 hours/year, the homicide rate has also fallen from 1.68 to 0.5 per 100,000. These numbers represent the trajectory of a singular life, framed by a rising standard of living and the stability of a modern state. You can see how these shifts define the birth lottery by using our tool to see your parallel life in China.