China vs United States
China vs United States: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 98.6% of GDP in China and 124.4% of GDP in United States, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 25.8 percentage points, or 1.26 times that in China.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, China ranked 17 and United States ranked 6 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 122.1% of GDP and United States at 145% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | China | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 98.6 | 124.4 |
| 2024 | 90.5 | 122.3 |
| 2023 | 84.1 | 120 |
| 2022 | 77.3 | 119.2 |
| 2021 | 72.1 | 125 |
| 2020 | 70.6 | 132.6 |
| 2019 | 59.9 | 108.8 |
| 2018 | 55.7 | 107.7 |
| 2017 | 53.7 | 106.5 |
| 2016 | 50 | 107.5 |
| 2015 | 40.9 | 105.5 |
| 2014 | 39.4 | 105 |
| 2013 | 36.6 | 105 |
| 2012 | 33.9 | 103.7 |
| 2011 | 33 | 100 |
| 2010 | 33.1 | 95.7 |
| 2009 | 33.9 | 87.1 |
| 2008 | 26.6 | 73.9 |
| 2007 | 28.8 | 65 |
| 2006 | 25.2 | 64.6 |
| 2005 | 26 | 65.8 |
| 2004 | 25.9 | 66.4 |
| 2003 | 26.4 | 59 |
| 2002 | 25.5 | 55.9 |
| 2001 | 24.2 | 53.5 |
| 2000 | 22.6 | – |
| 1999 | 21.6 | – |
| 1998 | 20.4 | – |
| 1997 | 20.4 | – |
| 1996 | 21.2 | – |
| 1995 | 21.4 | – |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | China | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 104.4 | 126.8 |
| 2027 | 109.1 | 128.7 |
| 2028 | 113.2 | 132.3 |
| 2029 | 116.4 | 136.4 |
| 2030 | 119.5 | 140.7 |
| 2031 | 122.1 | 145 |
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 United States
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025