Brazil vs China
Brazil vs China: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 93.3% of GDP in Brazil and 98.6% of GDP in China, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 5.3 percentage points, or 1.06 times that in Brazil.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Brazil.
- In 2025, Brazil ranked 22 and China ranked 17 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Brazil at 105.3% of GDP and China at 122.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Brazil | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 93.3 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 87 | 90.5 |
| 2023 | 84 | 84.1 |
| 2022 | 83.9 | 77.3 |
| 2021 | 88.9 | 72.1 |
| 2020 | 96 | 70.6 |
| 2019 | 87.1 | 59.9 |
| 2018 | 84.8 | 55.7 |
| 2017 | 82.8 | 53.7 |
| 2016 | 77.4 | 50 |
| 2015 | 71.7 | 40.9 |
| 2014 | 61.6 | 39.4 |
| 2013 | 59.6 | 36.6 |
| 2012 | 61.6 | 33.9 |
| 2011 | 60.6 | 33 |
| 2010 | 62.4 | 33.1 |
| 2009 | 64.7 | 33.9 |
| 2008 | 61.4 | 26.6 |
| 2007 | 63 | 28.8 |
| 2006 | 64.6 | 25.2 |
| 2005 | 67 | 26 |
| 2004 | 68 | 25.9 |
| 2003 | 71.5 | 26.4 |
| 2002 | 76.1 | 25.5 |
| 2001 | 67.3 | 24.2 |
| 2000 | 62.2 | 22.6 |
| 1999 | – | 21.6 |
| 1998 | – | 20.4 |
| 1997 | – | 20.4 |
| 1996 | – | 21.2 |
| 1995 | – | 21.4 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Brazil | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 97 | 104.4 |
| 2027 | 99.3 | 109.1 |
| 2028 | 101.3 | 113.2 |
| 2029 | 103.2 | 116.4 |
| 2030 | 104.5 | 119.5 |
| 2031 | 105.3 | 122.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Brazil vs China
Health
- Life expectancyBrazil: 75.9 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBrazil: 1.4 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBrazil: 12.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBrazil: 3.3% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateBrazil: 6.1 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBrazil: 211 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthBrazil: 0.41% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBrazil: 1.62 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBrazil: 88.2% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageBrazil: 33.9 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBrazil: 10.6% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateBrazil: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBrazil: 1.05% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBrazil: $23.6B in 2025China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personBrazil: $113 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBrazil: 2.2% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBrazil: 762,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerBrazil: 2.01% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBrazil: 0.76% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBrazil: 462 million TIV in 2025China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBrazil: 153 million TIV in 2025China: 880 million TIV in 2025