Country comparison
China United States
How do China and United States compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.
China vs United States at a glance
- China's surface area is smaller: about 99% of United States's (9,441,999 km² vs 9,493,364 km²).
- China's population is larger: about 4.1× United States's (1.4B vs 341.8M).
- China's GDP (total) is smaller: about 63% of United States's ($19.5T vs $30.8T).
- China's GDP per capita is about 15% of United States's.
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ChinaUnited States — China's GDP per capita is about 15% of United States's.
| Metric | China | United States | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 1.4B (2025) | 341.8M (2025) | 4.1× |
| Population growth | -0.2% (2025) | 0.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 66.3% (2025) | 80.2% (2025) | 83% |
| Population aged 65+ | 14.9% (2025) | 18.4% (2025) | 81% |
| Fertility rate | 1.0 (2024) | 1.6 (2024) | 62% |
| Birth rate | 6.8‰ (2024) | 10.6‰ (2024) | 64% |
| Death rate | 7.8‰ (2024) | 9.0‰ (2024) | 86% |
| Net migration | -268.1K (2025) | 1.2M (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 9,441,999 km² | 9,493,364 km² | 99% |
| Population densityderived | 149/km² (2025) | 36.0/km² (2025) | 4.1× |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $19.5T (2025) | $30.8T (2025) | 63% |
| GDP per capita | $13,862 (2025) | $90,027 (2025) | 15% |
| GNI per capita | $14,230 (2025) | $88,810 (2025) | 16% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 5.0% (2025) | 2.2% (2025) | 2.3× |
| Inflation rate | 0.1% (2025) | 2.9% (2024) | 2% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% (2025) | 4.2% (2025) | 1.1× |
| Gini index | 36.0 (2022) | 41.8 (2024) | 86% |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.0% (2022) | 1.1% (2024) | N/A |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 21.1% (2025) | 11.0% (2024) | 1.9× |
| Imports share of GDP | 16.9% (2025) | 14.0% (2024) | 1.2× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 6.7% (2025) | 0.9% (2021) | 7.1× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 24.7% (2025) | 10.5% (2021) | 2.4× |
| International tourist arrivals | 30.4M (2020) | 45M (2020) | 68% |
| Tourism receipts | $27.8B (2004) | $84.2B (2020) | 33% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 78.0 years (2024) | 78.9 years (2024) | 99% |
| Infant mortality | 4.1‰ (2024) | 5.5‰ (2024) | 75% |
| Under-five mortality | 5.7‰ (2024) | 6.5‰ (2024) | 88% |
| DPT immunization | 97.0% (2024) | 94.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Hospital beds | 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) | 2.7 per 1,000 (2022) | 2.1× |
| Health spending share of GDP | 5.9% (2023) | 16.7% (2023) | 36% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 92.3% (2012) | 97.5% (2022) | 95% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 3.9% (2023) | 5.4% (2021) | 72% |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.797 (2023) | 0.938 (2023) | 85% |
| Internet users | 91.6% (2025) | 94.7% (2024) | 97% |
| Mobile subscriptions | 131.8 per 100 (2024) | 113.2 per 100 (2024) | 1.2× |
| Fixed broadband | 47.2 per 100 (2024) | 38.9 per 100 (2024) | 1.2× |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 9.3 t (2024) | 13.6 t (2024) | 68% |
| CO₂ emissions (total)derived | 13,125 Mt (2024) | 4,632 Mt (2024) | 2.8× |
| Renewable electricity share | 28.4% (2021) | 20.3% (2021) | 1.4× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 15.2% (2021) | 10.9% (2021) | 1.4× |
| Forest area | 24.0% (2023) | 33.9% (2023) | 71% |
| Agricultural land | 55.4% (2023) | 46.1% (2023) | 1.2× |
| Arable land | 11.5% (2023) | 16.6% (2023) | 70% |
| PM2.5 exposure | 32.0 µg/m³ (2023) | 7.0 µg/m³ (2023) | 4.6× |
| Military spending | 1.7% (2024) | 3.4% (2024) | 50% |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.
China
- Capital
- Beijing
- Languages
- Chinese
- Currencies
- CNY
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
United States
- Capital
- Washington D.C.
- Languages
- English
- Currencies
- USD
- Subregion
- North America
China vs United States in five metrics
Full metric comparison
| Metric | China | United States | A vs B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population & land | |||
| Population | 1.4B (2025) | 341.8M (2025) | 4.1× |
| Population growth | -0.2% (2025) | 0.5% (2025) | N/A |
| Urban population share | 66.3% (2025) | 80.2% (2025) | 83% |
| Population aged 65+ | 14.9% (2025) | 18.4% (2025) | 81% |
| Fertility rate | 1.0 (2024) | 1.6 (2024) | 62% |
| Birth rate | 6.8‰ (2024) | 10.6‰ (2024) | 64% |
| Death rate | 7.8‰ (2024) | 9.0‰ (2024) | 86% |
| Net migration | -268.1K (2025) | 1.2M (2025) | N/A |
| Surface area | 9,441,999 km² | 9,493,364 km² | 99% |
| Population density derived | 149/km² (2025) | 36.0/km² (2025) | 4.1× |
| Economy | |||
| GDP (total) | $19.5T (2025) | $30.8T (2025) | 63% |
| GDP per capita | $13,862 (2025) | $90,027 (2025) | 15% |
| GNI per capita | $14,230 (2025) | $88,810 (2025) | 16% |
| GDP growth (annual) | 5.0% (2025) | 2.2% (2025) | 2.3× |
| Inflation rate | 0.1% (2025) | 2.9% (2024) | 2% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% (2025) | 4.2% (2025) | 1.1× |
| Gini index | 36.0 (2022) | 41.8 (2024) | 86% |
| Poverty rate ($2.15/day) | 0.0% (2022) | 1.1% (2024) | N/A |
| Trade & industry | |||
| Exports share of GDP | 21.1% (2025) | 11.0% (2024) | 1.9× |
| Imports share of GDP | 16.9% (2025) | 14.0% (2024) | 1.2× |
| Agriculture share of GDP | 6.7% (2025) | 0.9% (2021) | 7.1× |
| Manufacturing share of GDP | 24.7% (2025) | 10.5% (2021) | 2.4× |
| International tourist arrivals | 30.4M (2020) | 45M (2020) | 68% |
| Tourism receipts | $27.8B (2004) | $84.2B (2020) | 33% |
| Health & education | |||
| Life expectancy | 78.0 years (2024) | 78.9 years (2024) | 99% |
| Infant mortality | 4.1‰ (2024) | 5.5‰ (2024) | 75% |
| Under-five mortality | 5.7‰ (2024) | 6.5‰ (2024) | 88% |
| DPT immunization | 97.0% (2024) | 94.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Hospital beds | 5.6 per 1,000 (2023) | 2.7 per 1,000 (2022) | 2.1× |
| Health spending share of GDP | 5.9% (2023) | 16.7% (2023) | 36% |
| Secondary school enrollment | 92.3% (2012) | 97.5% (2022) | 95% |
| Education spending share of GDP | 3.9% (2023) | 5.4% (2021) | 72% |
| Society & living | |||
| Human Development Index | 0.797 (2023) | 0.938 (2023) | 85% |
| Internet users | 91.6% (2025) | 94.7% (2024) | 97% |
| Mobile subscriptions | 131.8 per 100 (2024) | 113.2 per 100 (2024) | 1.2× |
| Fixed broadband | 47.2 per 100 (2024) | 38.9 per 100 (2024) | 1.2× |
| Electricity access | 100.0% (2024) | 100.0% (2024) | 1.0× |
| Environment & security | |||
| CO₂ emissions per capita | 9.3 t (2024) | 13.6 t (2024) | 68% |
| CO₂ emissions (total) derived | 13,125 Mt (2024) | 4,632 Mt (2024) | 2.8× |
| Renewable electricity share | 28.4% (2021) | 20.3% (2021) | 1.4× |
| Renewable energy consumption | 15.2% (2021) | 10.9% (2021) | 1.4× |
| Forest area | 24.0% (2023) | 33.9% (2023) | 71% |
| Agricultural land | 55.4% (2023) | 46.1% (2023) | 1.2× |
| Arable land | 11.5% (2023) | 16.6% (2023) | 70% |
| PM2.5 exposure | 32.0 µg/m³ (2023) | 7.0 µg/m³ (2023) | 4.6× |
| Military spending | 1.7% (2024) | 3.4% (2024) | 50% |
Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.
Reference facts
| Metric | China | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Capital | Beijing | Washington D.C. |
| Languages | Chinese | English |
| Currencies | CNY | USD |
| Subregion | Eastern Asia | North America |
Frequently asked questions
Which is bigger, China or United States?
China's surface area is smaller: about 99% of United States's (9,441,999 km² vs 9,493,364 km²).
Which has a larger population, China or United States?
China's population is larger: about 4.1× United States's (1.4B vs 341.8M).
Which economy is larger, China or United States?
China's GDP (total) is smaller: about 63% of United States's ($19.5T vs $30.8T).
Related tools and comparisons
Open the interactive compare tool with China and United States preselected
See China and United States's true size on a drag-and-drop map →
Distance between China and United States →
China country profile: key metrics vs world median →
United States country profile: key metrics vs world median →
More comparisons with China and United States
Data & method
Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas are computed with an equal-area spherical formula (Chamberlin–Duquette).
Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).