China vs Mexico
China vs Mexico: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 98.6% of GDP in China and 61.7% of GDP in Mexico, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 36.9 percentage points, or 1.6 times that in Mexico.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Mexico.
- In 2025, China ranked 17 and Mexico ranked 52 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 122.1% of GDP and Mexico at 64.5% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | China | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98.6 | 61.7 |
| 2024 | 90.5 | 59 |
| 2023 | 84.1 | 52.7 |
| 2022 | 77.3 | 53.8 |
| 2021 | 72.1 | 56.7 |
| 2020 | 70.6 | 58.5 |
| 2019 | 59.9 | 51.9 |
| 2018 | 55.7 | 52.2 |
| 2017 | 53.7 | 52.5 |
| 2016 | 50 | 55 |
| 2015 | 40.9 | 51 |
| 2014 | 39.4 | 47.1 |
| 2013 | 36.6 | 44.1 |
| 2012 | 33.9 | 40.8 |
| 2011 | 33 | 41.2 |
| 2010 | 33.1 | 40.2 |
| 2009 | 33.9 | 41.7 |
| 2008 | 26.6 | 40.6 |
| 2007 | 28.8 | 35.5 |
| 2006 | 25.2 | 35.8 |
| 2005 | 26 | 36.8 |
| 2004 | 25.9 | 38.9 |
| 2003 | 26.4 | 42.1 |
| 2002 | 25.5 | 39.9 |
| 2001 | 24.2 | 37.3 |
| 2000 | 22.6 | 38.5 |
| 1999 | 21.6 | 41.7 |
| 1998 | 20.4 | 39.7 |
| 1997 | 20.4 | 39.1 |
| 1996 | 21.2 | 42.5 |
| 1995 | 21.4 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | China | Mexico |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104.4 | 62.1 |
| 2027 | 109.1 | 62.9 |
| 2028 | 113.2 | 63.4 |
| 2029 | 116.4 | 64 |
| 2030 | 119.5 | 64.3 |
| 2031 | 122.1 | 64.5 |
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 Mexico
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Mexico: 75.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Mexico: 1.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Mexico: 10.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Mexico: 2.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Mexico: 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Mexico: 130 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Mexico: 0.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Mexico: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Mexico: 80% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Mexico: 28.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Mexico: 8% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Mexico: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Mexico: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Mexico: $13.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Mexico: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Mexico: 2.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Mexico: 341,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Mexico: 1.14% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Mexico: 0.64% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Mexico: 9 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Mexico: 1 million TIV in 2019