China vs United States

China vs United States: Inflation

Inflation in 2025: 0.1% a year in China and 2.7% a year in United States, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 2.7 percentage points, or 55 times that in China.

Watch it change on the map

% a year · IMF

China vs United States: InflationInflation in 2025: 0.1% a year in China and 2.7% a year in United States, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 2.7 percentage points, or 55 times that in China.
ChinaUnited StatesIMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)

What the numbers say

  • United States has been higher since 2021, when it overtook China.
  • In 2025, China ranked 168 and United States ranked 93 of 179 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts China at 2% a year and United States at 1.9% a year in 2031.

Every year

% a year · IMF

YearChinaUnited States
20250.12.7
20240.23
20230.24.1
202228
20210.94.7
20202.51.3
20192.91.8
20182.12.4
20171.62.1
201621.3
20151.50.1
201421.6
20132.61.5
20122.62.1
20115.43.1
20103.31.6
2009-0.7-0.3
20085.83.8
20074.82.9
20061.53.2
20051.83.4
20043.92.7
20031.22.3
2002-0.71.6
20010.72.8
20000.33.4
1999-1.42.2
1998-0.81.5
19972.82.3
19968.32.9
199516.82.8
199424.22.6
199314.73
19926.43
19913.54.2
19903.35.4
1989184.8
198818.84.1
19877.33.6
19866.51.9
19859.33.5
19842.74.4
198323.2
198226.2
19812.510.4
1980–13.5
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
YearChinaUnited States
202613.6
20271.42.8
20281.62.1
20291.91.9
203021.9
203121.9

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • How much consumer prices rose in a year, on average.
  • 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 179 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

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment