China vs Iran
China vs Iran: Inflation
Inflation in 2025: 0.1% a year in China and 50.6% a year in Iran, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 50.6 percentage points, or 1,000 times that in China.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher since 1990, when it overtook China.
- In 2025, China ranked 168 and Iran ranked 5 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 2% a year and Iran at 25% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | China | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.1 | 50.6 |
| 2024 | 0.2 | 32.5 |
| 2023 | 0.2 | 40.7 |
| 2022 | 2 | 45.8 |
| 2021 | 0.9 | 40.2 |
| 2020 | 2.5 | 36.5 |
| 2019 | 2.9 | 34.8 |
| 2018 | 2.1 | 26.9 |
| 2017 | 1.6 | 8.2 |
| 2016 | 2 | 6.8 |
| 2015 | 1.5 | 11.2 |
| 2014 | 2 | 14.5 |
| 2013 | 2.6 | 32.9 |
| 2012 | 2.6 | 29.3 |
| 2011 | 5.4 | 25.3 |
| 2010 | 3.3 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | -0.7 | 10.8 |
| 2008 | 5.8 | 25.3 |
| 2007 | 4.8 | 18.4 |
| 2006 | 1.5 | 12 |
| 2005 | 1.8 | 10.3 |
| 2004 | 3.9 | 15.3 |
| 2003 | 1.2 | 15.6 |
| 2002 | -0.7 | 15.8 |
| 2001 | 0.7 | 11.5 |
| 2000 | 0.3 | 12.3 |
| 1999 | -1.4 | 20.2 |
| 1998 | -0.8 | 18.5 |
| 1997 | 2.8 | 16.5 |
| 1996 | 8.3 | 23.9 |
| 1995 | 16.8 | 49.3 |
| 1994 | 24.2 | 34.9 |
| 1993 | 14.7 | 22.5 |
| 1992 | 6.4 | 24.5 |
| 1991 | 3.5 | 20.2 |
| 1990 | 3.3 | 9 |
| 1989 | 18 | 17.4 |
| 1988 | 18.8 | 28.9 |
| 1987 | 7.3 | 27.7 |
| 1986 | 6.5 | 23.7 |
| 1985 | 9.3 | 4.4 |
| 1984 | 2.7 | 12.6 |
| 1983 | 2 | 19.7 |
| 1982 | 2 | 18.7 |
| 1981 | 2.5 | 24.2 |
| 1980 | – | 20.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | China | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 78.6 |
| 2027 | 1.4 | 42.1 |
| 2028 | 1.6 | 38 |
| 2029 | 1.9 | 30.3 |
| 2030 | 2 | 25 |
| 2031 | 2 | 25 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
- 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 179 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
China vs Iran
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Iran: 77.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Iran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Iran: 5.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Iran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Iran: 90.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Iran: 1.12% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Iran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Iran: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Iran: 32.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Iran: 7.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Iran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Iran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Iran: $7.45B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Iran: $80 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Iran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Iran: 650,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Iran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Iran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Iran: 42 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Iran: 80 million TIV in 2025