Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
Bhutan
38,394 km²
0.4% of largest
China is 249.96× larger than Bhutan
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
Bhutan
0.1% OF LARGEST
771.61K
PEOPLE
China has 1830.72× the population of Bhutan
GDP
China
LARGEST
$17.96T
Bhutan
0.0% OF LARGEST
$2.54B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
Bhutan
0.4% OF LARGEST
8K
TROOPS
China has 254.38× the active personnel of Bhutan
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
Bhutan
0.0% OF LARGEST
0
AIRCRAFT
Naval Assets
China
Bhutan
Wealth
Gold Reserves
China
LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Bhutan
0.0% OF LARGEST
0.1
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
Bhutan
0.0% OF LARGEST
$0B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
Bhutan
—
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Bhutan
$0.9B
Exports
$0.9B
Imports
$1.6B
Trade Balance
$-0.8B
Trade Deficit
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Bhutan
supply
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
Bhutan
Beer
litres / person / yr
Bhutan
supply
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
China
consumption
Bhutan
supply
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
China
consumption
Bhutan
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
Bhutan
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
Bhutan
No Olympic medal data
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Bhutan
China
Age Demographics
Median Age
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Bhutan
28.1
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
China is 10.9 years older (median) than Bhutan
Youth Population
Bhutan has the highest youth population at 51% (under 30)
Elderly Population
China has the highest elderly population at 19.0% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Bhutan
|
China
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations | — |
85
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year | — |
65.7M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time | — |
8
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide | — |
9
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Bhutan
|
China
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $4 | $5 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $20 | $25 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $300 | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $150 | $380 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $60 | $50 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $35 | $20 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $15 | $30 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 771608 | 1412600000 |
| Area (sq km) | 38394 | 9596961 |
| Capital | Thimphu | Beijing |
| Official Language | Dzongkha | Mandarin Chinese |
| Currency | Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN) | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) |
| Government Type | Constitutional monarchy | Unitary one-party socialist republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 8,000 | 2,035,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 0 | 510,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 8,000 | 2,545,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $25,000,000 | $292,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 0 | 5,651 |
| Armored Vehicles | 0 | 35,000 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 0 | 4,120 |
| Towed Artillery | 0 | 6,246 |
| Rocket Projectors | 0 | 2,430 |
Economy
| Metric | Bhutan | China |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2,539,000,000 | $17,963,200,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $3,291 | $12,720 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 3.2% | 4.0% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 37.4 | 38.5 |
| Currency | Bhutanese Ngultrum (BTN) | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| Bhutan Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 13.8744 Stronger |
| China Currency | 0.0721 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | BTN | CNY |
| 1 USD equals | 94.4654 BTN Updated: 2026-06-27 | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 250.0 times larger in area than Bhutan.
That's a massive difference!
China has 1830.7 times more people than Bhutan.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
China has the highest GDP per capita at $12,720 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$17.96 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 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.
Bhutan vs China: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $18.0T is 7074.9x larger than Bhutan's $3B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 1830.7x larger than Bhutan's 771,608.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 250.0x larger than Bhutan.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs Bhutan's 8Thousand.
Trade: Bhutan has a trade deficit of $1B while China runs a trade surplus of $534B.
Life Expectancy: China leads with a life expectancy of 77 years vs Bhutan's 72.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology