Canada vs China
Canada vs China: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 113.6% of GDP in Canada and 98.6% of GDP in China, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Canada, by 15 percentage points, or 1.15 times that in China.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Canada has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- In 2025, Canada ranked 8 and China ranked 17 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Canada at 107% of GDP and China at 122.1% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Canada | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 113.6 | 98.6 |
| 2024 | 110 | 90.5 |
| 2023 | 105.1 | 84.1 |
| 2022 | 103.5 | 77.3 |
| 2021 | 112.6 | 72.1 |
| 2020 | 118.1 | 70.6 |
| 2019 | 90.1 | 59.9 |
| 2018 | 90.8 | 55.7 |
| 2017 | 91 | 53.7 |
| 2016 | 92.5 | 50 |
| 2015 | 92.3 | 40.9 |
| 2014 | 85.8 | 39.4 |
| 2013 | 87.7 | 36.6 |
| 2012 | 87 | 33.9 |
| 2011 | 84.3 | 33 |
| 2010 | 84 | 33.1 |
| 2009 | 81.8 | 33.9 |
| 2008 | 70.4 | 26.6 |
| 2007 | 67.2 | 28.8 |
| 2006 | 69.9 | 25.2 |
| 2005 | 70.6 | 26 |
| 2004 | 71.9 | 25.9 |
| 2003 | 75.9 | 26.4 |
| 2002 | 79.6 | 25.5 |
| 2001 | 81.5 | 24.2 |
| 2000 | 80.4 | 22.6 |
| 1999 | 89 | 21.6 |
| 1998 | 93.3 | 20.4 |
| 1997 | 95.3 | 20.4 |
| 1996 | 100.2 | 21.2 |
| 1995 | 100.1 | 21.4 |
| 1994 | 97.5 | – |
| 1993 | 94.7 | – |
| 1992 | 88.2 | – |
| 1991 | 81.7 | – |
| 1990 | 73.7 | – |
| 1989 | 71 | – |
| 1988 | 69.8 | – |
| 1987 | 69.8 | – |
| 1986 | 69.3 | – |
| 1985 | 65.2 | – |
| 1984 | 60.2 | – |
| 1983 | 57.2 | – |
| 1982 | 51.7 | – |
| 1981 | 46.1 | – |
| 1980 | 44.6 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Canada | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 115.6 | 104.4 |
| 2027 | 113.4 | 109.1 |
| 2028 | 111.8 | 113.2 |
| 2029 | 110.4 | 116.4 |
| 2030 | 108.8 | 119.5 |
| 2031 | 107 | 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
Canada vs China
Health
- Life expectancyCanada: 82.6 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCanada: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCanada: 4.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCanada: 3.99% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateCanada: 10.9 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCanada: 39.3 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthCanada: 1.22% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCanada: 1.35 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCanada: 82.9% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageCanada: 40.3 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCanada: 19.4% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCanada: 11 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCanada: 1.63% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCanada: $37.5B in 2025China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personCanada: $939 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCanada: 3.7% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCanada: 72,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerCanada: 0.81% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCanada: 0.35% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCanada: 83 million TIV in 2025China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCanada: 312 million TIV in 2025China: 880 million TIV in 2025