Singapore vs China: How Do They Compare?
Because there’s a Chinatown in Singapore and the country celebrates Chinese New Year, you might wonder how Singapore compares to China.
Apart from the apparent differences in total land area and forms of government, there are several notable contrasts between the two countries. Let’s take a look at some of them with this post.
Singapore has a higher average life expectancy
When it comes to life expectancy, Singaporeans live around 9.9 years more than their Chinese counterparts.
Singapore men live to be around 83 years old, while Singaporean women reach an average of 89 years. Chinese men have an average life expectancy of just 74 years, while Chinese women have 78.
Both countries have a pension system that can help their senior citizens with retirement planning.
Both Singapore and China also have nursing homes to accommodate elderly citizens. However, China only has 17 nursing homes at present, which can serve only around 2% of its elderly population.
The website World Data Info also published a comparative ranking (on a scale of 0 to 100) of the two countries’ quality of health. China got 67 while Singapore had 79.
Fewer Chinese citizens are connected to the Internet
Our guide on Internet penetration in Singapore shows that 91% of the population is now online. In China, only around 54.3% of the people are Internet users.
Social media usage in both countries also shows an interesting discrepancy. By 2021, nearly 5 million Singaporeans have used social media (or around 84.4% of the total population.)
Meanwhile, there are dozens of social media platforms and sites that are blocked in China as of 2022. Some of the country’s banned Western websites include Facebook, Google, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Twitter.
Singapore has a lower crude birth rate
Every year, the crude birth rate of Chinese babies is 12.17 (per 1,000 people). In stark contrast, Singapore’s is just 8.10.
Perhaps it’s the result of acknowledging that “having babies in Singapore isn’t cheap,” but the country’s low birth rate has become a cause for concern. This is still evident even with government subsidies for maternity and child care.
Many Singaporean women are choosing to either delay having a baby or do away with pregnancy altogether. In 2021, it was found that Singapore also has one of the lowest female fertility rates in the entire world.
That’s why going to the best IVF clinics in Singapore is a practical option for those who want to know if having a baby is a viable option.
China has a lower GDP per capita
There’s a sharp discrepancy between the GDP of China and Singapore. In 2017, Singapore’s GDP stood at $94,100, while China’s 2018 GDP was just $18,200.
But Singaporeans’ overall purchasing power is quite impressive when compared to nearly every country in the world. That’s why you’ll often hear musings on whether Singapore is richer than the USA or other nations.
However, a closer look at why China makes nearly 84% less money than Singapore should reveal more nuanced answers. To say that Singaporeans are rich and ignore other factors won’t really be doing a fair country comparison.