China vs Japan
China vs Japan: GDP per person
GDP per person in 2025: $13,790 in China and $38,620 in Japan, by World Bank estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Japan, by $24,830, or 2.8 times that in China.
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1960.
- In 2025, China ranked 61 and Japan ranked 26 of 186 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: $12,130 in 2025.
Every year
US dollars at 2015 prices · World Bank
| Year | China | Japan | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13,790 | $38,620 | $12,130 |
| 2024 | $13,120 | $37,980 | $11,890 |
| 2023 | $12,480 | $37,900 | $11,670 |
| 2022 | $11,830 | $37,450 | $11,450 |
| 2021 | $11,470 | $36,790 | $11,170 |
| 2020 | $10,570 | $35,360 | $10,580 |
| 2019 | $10,360 | $36,840 | $11,000 |
| 2018 | $9,799 | $36,900 | $10,820 |
| 2017 | $9,221 | $36,550 | $10,590 |
| 2016 | $8,679 | $35,930 | $10,360 |
| 2015 | $8,175 | $35,660 | $10,190 |
| 2014 | $7,686 | $35,000 | $10,000 |
| 2013 | $7,198 | $34,640 | $9,811 |
| 2012 | $6,723 | $33,910 | $9,654 |
| 2011 | $6,276 | $33,310 | $9,515 |
| 2010 | $5,765 | $33,310 | $9,322 |
| 2009 | $5,238 | $31,990 | $9,028 |
| 2008 | $4,811 | $34,010 | $9,266 |
| 2007 | $4,410 | $34,430 | $9,191 |
| 2006 | $3,883 | $33,880 | $8,913 |
| 2005 | $3,466 | $33,390 | $8,639 |
| 2004 | $3,128 | $32,780 | $8,409 |
| 2003 | $2,857 | $32,120 | $8,151 |
| 2002 | $2,611 | $31,750 | $8,011 |
| 2001 | $2,406 | $31,790 | $7,932 |
| 2000 | $2,237 | $31,780 | $7,880 |
| 1999 | $2,077 | $30,910 | $7,639 |
| 1998 | $1,944 | $31,080 | $7,479 |
| 1997 | $1,819 | $31,720 | $7,382 |
| 1996 | $1,681 | $31,370 | $7,203 |
| 1995 | $1,545 | $30,500 | $7,058 |
| 1994 | $1,407 | $29,880 | $6,944 |
| 1993 | $1,258 | $29,670 | $6,819 |
| 1992 | $1,117 | $29,920 | $6,801 |
| 1991 | $990 | $29,780 | $6,773 |
| 1990 | $917 | $28,900 | $6,804 |
| 1989 | $896 | $27,650 | $6,741 |
| 1988 | $873 | $26,470 | $6,620 |
| 1987 | $797 | $24,890 | $6,446 |
| 1986 | $726 | $23,880 | $6,326 |
| 1985 | $676 | $23,240 | $6,233 |
| 1984 | $604 | $22,220 | $6,120 |
| 1983 | $532 | $21,400 | $5,947 |
| 1982 | $487 | $20,820 | $5,903 |
| 1981 | $453 | $20,290 | $5,986 |
| 1980 | $437 | $19,610 | $5,980 |
| 1979 | $410 | $19,230 | $5,978 |
| 1978 | $386 | $18,380 | $5,843 |
| 1977 | $352 | $17,620 | $5,710 |
| 1976 | $331 | $17,050 | $5,591 |
| 1975 | $342 | $16,570 | $5,410 |
| 1974 | $320 | $16,280 | $5,467 |
| 1973 | $319 | $16,700 | $5,465 |
| 1972 | $303 | $15,680 | $5,236 |
| 1971 | $299 | $14,670 | $5,061 |
| 1970 | $287 | $14,320 | $4,964 |
| 1969 | $248 | $14,430 | $4,885 |
| 1968 | $218 | $12,980 | $4,707 |
| 1967 | $233 | $11,630 | $4,535 |
| 1966 | $254 | $10,580 | $4,461 |
| 1965 | $236 | $9,648 | $4,321 |
| 1964 | $206 | $9,216 | $4,176 |
| 1963 | $179 | $8,339 | $3,999 |
| 1962 | $166 | $7,766 | $3,889 |
| 1961 | $177 | $7,197 | $3,759 |
| 1960 | $241 | $6,481 | $3,667 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The value of everything produced in the country in a year, divided by its people, in 2015 US dollars so that years compare.
- Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
- Ranks count the 186 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
China vs Japan
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Japan: 84.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Japan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Japan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Japan: 3.34% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Japan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Japan: 124 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Japan: -0.48% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Japan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Japan: 92.3% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Japan: 49 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Japan: 29.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Japan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Japan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Japan: $59.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Japan: $504 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Japan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Japan: 261,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Japan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Japan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Japan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Japan: 28 million TIV in 2025