China vs Italy
China vs Italy: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 98.6% of GDP in China and 137.1% of GDP in Italy, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Italy, by 38.5 percentage points, or 1.39 times that in China.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Italy has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- In 2025, China ranked 17 and Italy ranked 3 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 122.1% of GDP and Italy at 135.6% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | China | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98.6 | 137.1 |
| 2024 | 90.5 | 134.7 |
| 2023 | 84.1 | 133.9 |
| 2022 | 77.3 | 138.4 |
| 2021 | 72.1 | 145.8 |
| 2020 | 70.6 | 154.4 |
| 2019 | 59.9 | 133.9 |
| 2018 | 55.7 | 134.2 |
| 2017 | 53.7 | 133.7 |
| 2016 | 50 | 134.2 |
| 2015 | 40.9 | 134.8 |
| 2014 | 39.4 | 134.8 |
| 2013 | 36.6 | 131.9 |
| 2012 | 33.9 | 125.9 |
| 2011 | 33 | 119.1 |
| 2010 | 33.1 | 118.8 |
| 2009 | 33.9 | 116.1 |
| 2008 | 26.6 | 105.8 |
| 2007 | 28.8 | 103.5 |
| 2006 | 25.2 | 106.3 |
| 2005 | 26 | 106.2 |
| 2004 | 25.9 | 104.7 |
| 2003 | 26.4 | 105.1 |
| 2002 | 25.5 | 105.9 |
| 2001 | 24.2 | 108.5 |
| 2000 | 22.6 | 108.7 |
| 1999 | 21.6 | 113.1 |
| 1998 | 20.4 | 113.9 |
| 1997 | 20.4 | 116.5 |
| 1996 | 21.2 | 118.9 |
| 1995 | 21.4 | 119.1 |
| 1994 | – | 130.8 |
| 1993 | – | 124.1 |
| 1992 | – | 113 |
| 1991 | – | 105.3 |
| 1990 | – | 101.7 |
| 1989 | – | 98.4 |
| 1988 | – | 95.7 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | China | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104.4 | 137.9 |
| 2027 | 109.1 | 137.6 |
| 2028 | 113.2 | 137 |
| 2029 | 116.4 | 136.2 |
| 2030 | 119.5 | 135.8 |
| 2031 | 122.1 | 135.6 |
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
China vs Italy
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Italy: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Italy: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Italy: 2.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Italy: 3.46% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Italy: 4.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Italy: 59.5 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Italy: -0.22% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Italy: 1.2 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Italy: 69.7% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Italy: 47.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Italy: 24.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Italy: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Italy: 1.89% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Italy: $45.4B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Italy: $813 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Italy: 3.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Italy: 338,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Italy: 0.96% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Italy: 1.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Italy: 566 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Italy: 1.92 billion TIV in 2025