China vs South Korea
China vs South Korea: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 5% a year in China and 1.1% a year in South Korea, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 3.9 percentage points, or 4.39 times that in South Korea.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2001, when it overtook South Korea.
- In 2025, China ranked 33 and South Korea ranked 119 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 3.3% a year and South Korea at 1.9% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 2.2 |
| 2023 | 5.4 | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 3.1 | 2.9 |
| 2021 | 8.6 | 4.7 |
| 2020 | 2.3 | -0.7 |
| 2019 | 6.1 | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 6.8 | 3.2 |
| 2017 | 6.9 | 3.4 |
| 2016 | 6.8 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 7 | 2.9 |
| 2014 | 7.5 | 3.2 |
| 2013 | 7.8 | 3.3 |
| 2012 | 7.8 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | 9.5 | 3.7 |
| 2010 | 10.6 | 7 |
| 2009 | 9.4 | 0.8 |
| 2008 | 9.6 | 3 |
| 2007 | 14.2 | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 12.7 | 5.2 |
| 2005 | 11.4 | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 10.1 | 5.2 |
| 2003 | 10.1 | 3.1 |
| 2002 | 9.2 | 7.7 |
| 2001 | 8.3 | 4.7 |
| 2000 | 8.6 | 9.2 |
| 1999 | 7.8 | 11.6 |
| 1998 | 7.9 | -4.9 |
| 1997 | 9.3 | 6.3 |
| 1996 | 10 | 8 |
| 1995 | 11 | 9.7 |
| 1994 | 13.1 | 9.4 |
| 1993 | 13.9 | 7 |
| 1992 | 14.3 | 6.4 |
| 1991 | 10.2 | 10.9 |
| 1990 | 3.9 | 10 |
| 1989 | 4.2 | 7.2 |
| 1988 | 11.2 | 12.1 |
| 1987 | 11.7 | 12.9 |
| 1986 | 8.9 | 11.5 |
| 1985 | 13.5 | 7.9 |
| 1984 | 15.2 | 10.6 |
| 1983 | 10.8 | 13.5 |
| 1982 | 9 | 8.5 |
| 1981 | 5.1 | 7.4 |
| 1980 | 7.9 | -1.5 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 4.5 | 3.3 |
| 2027 | 4 | 2.8 |
| 2028 | 4 | 2.3 |
| 2029 | 3.7 | 2.1 |
| 2030 | 3.3 | 1.9 |
| 2031 | 3.3 | 1.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- 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 143 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 South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025