china : usa

I have learned quite a bit about China since my stay here. My US-media-driven perception on big-bad China isn't as much of a reality as I expected, though there are certainly very significant political and cultural differences. The most obvious immediate perception is in the capitalistic nature of China and the opportunity for growth, simply based on the numbers. I was inspired to seek data on some of the stats on China and the USA. If you're into data like I am, here are some noteworthy numbers:

China total area: 9.2 million sq meters
USA total area: 9.8 million sq meters

China population: 1.3 billion
USA population: 303 million

China population ratio: 1.03 males : 1 female
USA population ratio: 0.97 males : 1 female

China death rate: 7 deaths/1000 people/year
USA death rate: 8 deaths/1000 people/year

China literacy rate: 86-94% (~ about 8% higher for males than females)
USA literacy rate: 99% (male and female are the same)

China life expectancy: 73 years
USA life expectancy: 78 years

China GDP: $3.3 Trillion
USA GDP: $13.8 Trillion

China per-capita GDP: $5,300
USA per-capita GDP: $45,800

China GDP Real Growth Rate: 11.4%
USA GDP Real Growth Rate: 2.2%

China population below poverty line of $125/yr (NOT a typo): 8%
USA population below poverty line: 12%

China oil consumption: 7 million barrels/day
USA oil consumption: 21 million barrels/day

China internet users: 162 million (though I often hear 300 million quoted)
USA internet users: 208 million

China # of airports: 403
USA # of airports: 5,103

China # of mobile phone users: 461 million
USA # of mobile phone users: 233 million

And some stats on Shanghai:

Shanghai area: 2700 sq/miles
New York City area: 500 sq/miles

Shanghai population: 18 million
New York City population: 8 million

Shanghai population density: 6,800/sq mile
New York City population density: 27,000/sq mile


Source:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html