China vs United States
China vs United States: National power
National power in 2022: 23.41% of world capability in China and 12.36% of world capability in United States, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in China, by 11.05 percentage points, or 1.89 times that in United States.
% of world capability · Correlates of War
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 2003, when it overtook United States.
- In 2022, China ranked 1 and United States ranked 2 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | China | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 23.41 | 12.36 |
| 2021 | 23.29 | 12.11 |
| 2020 | 23.8 | 12.44 |
| 2019 | 22.91 | 12.61 |
| 2018 | 22.6 | 11.99 |
| 2017 | 22.2 | 12.16 |
| 2016 | 23.08 | 13.33 |
| 2015 | 23.14 | 13.34 |
| 2014 | 22.9 | 12.97 |
| 2013 | 22.82 | 13.29 |
| 2012 | 22.04 | 13.92 |
| 2011 | 21.42 | 14.31 |
| 2010 | 20.92 | 14.79 |
| 2009 | 20.95 | 14.59 |
| 2008 | 19.06 | 14.78 |
| 2007 | 18.69 | 14.97 |
| 2006 | 17.94 | 15.45 |
| 2005 | 17.19 | 15.66 |
| 2004 | 16.8 | 15.17 |
| 2003 | 16.03 | 15.21 |
| 2002 | 15.35 | 15.37 |
| 2001 | 16.54 | 14.17 |
| 2000 | 16.22 | 14.29 |
| 1999 | 15.74 | 14.27 |
| 1998 | 15.41 | 14.17 |
| 1997 | 14.91 | 13.97 |
| 1996 | 14.64 | 13.86 |
| 1995 | 14.28 | 14.06 |
| 1994 | 13.71 | 14.59 |
| 1993 | 13.17 | 15.37 |
| 1992 | 12.38 | 14.85 |
| 1991 | 11.85 | 13.73 |
| 1990 | 11.18 | 14.14 |
| 1989 | 11.45 | 14.82 |
| 1988 | 11.29 | 13.45 |
| 1987 | 11.16 | 13.4 |
| 1986 | 11.4 | 13.53 |
| 1985 | 11.35 | 13.73 |
| 1984 | 11.61 | 13.56 |
| 1983 | 11.9 | 13.29 |
| 1982 | 11.88 | 12.96 |
| 1981 | 11.99 | 13.8 |
| 1980 | 11.95 | 13.31 |
| 1979 | 11.98 | 13.72 |
| 1978 | 12.1 | 13.97 |
| 1977 | 11.83 | 14.18 |
| 1976 | 11.77 | 14.25 |
| 1975 | 11.87 | 14.39 |
| 1974 | 11.69 | 15.27 |
| 1973 | 11.34 | 15.88 |
| 1972 | 11.3 | 16.47 |
| 1971 | 11.32 | 17 |
| 1970 | 11.27 | 18.1 |
| 1969 | 10.82 | 19.8 |
| 1968 | 10.59 | 20.34 |
| 1967 | 10.56 | 20.85 |
| 1966 | 10.97 | 20.87 |
| 1965 | 10.89 | 20.15 |
| 1964 | 11 | 20.3 |
| 1963 | 10.71 | 20.8 |
| 1962 | 10.36 | 20.99 |
| 1961 | 10.49 | 21.07 |
| 1960 | 11.93 | 21.54 |
| 1959 | 11.7 | 22.9 |
| 1958 | 10.84 | 23.45 |
| 1957 | 9.95 | 25.5 |
| 1956 | 9.81 | 26.06 |
| 1955 | 9.13 | 26.64 |
| 1954 | 9.44 | 28.09 |
| 1953 | 9.51 | 31.12 |
| 1952 | 9.64 | 31.14 |
| 1951 | 10.36 | 31.95 |
| 1950 | 11.85 | 28.44 |
| 1949 | 10.41 | 27.32 |
| 1948 | 11.51 | 29.47 |
| 1947 | 11.92 | 30.99 |
| 1946 | 13.27 | 36.4 |
| 1945 | 9.35 | 38.39 |
| 1944 | 9.74 | 35.06 |
| 1943 | 9.99 | 34.56 |
| 1942 | 9.89 | 28.55 |
| 1941 | 9.87 | 24.45 |
| 1940 | 9.26 | 20.19 |
| 1939 | 9.71 | 18.2 |
| 1938 | 9.32 | 17.08 |
| 1937 | 11.72 | 20.09 |
| 1936 | 11.12 | 20.6 |
| 1935 | 11.09 | 19.32 |
| 1934 | 12 | 19.74 |
| 1933 | 12.26 | 20.51 |
| 1932 | 12.55 | 19.72 |
| 1931 | 12.54 | 21.6 |
| 1930 | 12.59 | 22.81 |
| 1929 | 12.66 | 23.98 |
| 1928 | 12.68 | 24.01 |
| 1927 | 13.21 | 23.86 |
| 1926 | 16.23 | 26.33 |
| 1925 | 13.83 | 25.4 |
| 1924 | 16.29 | 25.36 |
| 1923 | 14.72 | 27.21 |
| 1922 | 13.64 | 25.56 |
| 1921 | 12.89 | 25.32 |
| 1920 | 12.75 | 28.96 |
| 1919 | 10.35 | 38.13 |
| 1918 | 8.62 | 29.49 |
| 1917 | 10.28 | 24.4 |
| 1916 | 8.35 | 23.29 |
| 1915 | 10.02 | 22.21 |
| 1914 | 9.22 | 20.64 |
| 1913 | 9.64 | 21.99 |
| 1912 | 11.36 | 22.48 |
| 1911 | 11.34 | 21.62 |
| 1910 | 13.64 | 22.65 |
| 1909 | 13.72 | 22.52 |
| 1908 | 13.93 | 20.32 |
| 1907 | 14.18 | 22.77 |
| 1906 | 11.87 | 21.83 |
| 1905 | 11.01 | 21.38 |
| 1904 | 11.77 | 20.49 |
| 1903 | 11.85 | 21.05 |
| 1902 | 11.86 | 20.77 |
| 1901 | 11.57 | 20.26 |
| 1900 | 12 | 18.8 |
| 1899 | 12.48 | 18.55 |
| 1898 | 12.35 | 19.71 |
| 1897 | 12.14 | 16.91 |
| 1896 | 12.43 | 16 |
| 1895 | 15.22 | 16.81 |
| 1894 | 15.41 | 15.44 |
| 1893 | 15.39 | 16.57 |
| 1892 | 15.46 | 17.33 |
| 1891 | 15.47 | 16.56 |
| 1890 | 15.56 | 16.54 |
| 1889 | 15.59 | 15.48 |
| 1888 | 15.64 | 15.23 |
| 1887 | 15.8 | 15.11 |
| 1886 | 16.04 | 14.61 |
| 1885 | 16.1 | 13.13 |
| 1884 | 16.21 | 13.14 |
| 1883 | 16.3 | 13.13 |
| 1882 | 16.05 | 13.1 |
| 1881 | 15.99 | 12.64 |
| 1880 | 16.28 | 12.55 |
| 1879 | 16.36 | 12.03 |
| 1878 | 15.63 | 10.83 |
| 1877 | 16.17 | 10.47 |
| 1876 | 16.32 | 10.19 |
| 1875 | 16.66 | 10.7 |
| 1874 | 16.83 | 11.42 |
| 1873 | 16.67 | 11.63 |
| 1872 | 16.83 | 11.53 |
| 1871 | 15.37 | 9.84 |
| 1870 | 17.07 | 9.9 |
| 1869 | 17.01 | 10.8 |
| 1868 | 16.87 | 10.66 |
| 1867 | 16.85 | 11.41 |
| 1866 | 17.1 | 9.82 |
| 1865 | 16.11 | 13.55 |
| 1864 | 15.94 | 19.29 |
| 1863 | 16.43 | 17.9 |
| 1862 | 17.08 | 17.64 |
| 1861 | 17.27 | 14.44 |
| 1860 | 17.43 | 7.74 |
| 1859 | – | 8.31 |
| 1858 | – | 8.34 |
| 1857 | – | 8.33 |
| 1856 | – | 7.84 |
| 1855 | – | 7.6 |
| 1854 | – | 7.42 |
| 1853 | – | 7.87 |
| 1852 | – | 7.19 |
| 1851 | – | 6.77 |
| 1850 | – | 7.25 |
| 1849 | – | 7.31 |
| 1848 | – | 8.72 |
| 1847 | – | 8.45 |
| 1846 | – | 8.28 |
| 1845 | – | 6.17 |
| 1844 | – | 5.73 |
| 1843 | – | 5.11 |
| 1842 | – | 4.93 |
| 1841 | – | 5.09 |
| 1840 | – | 4.96 |
| 1839 | – | 5.08 |
| 1838 | – | 5.33 |
| 1837 | – | 5.35 |
| 1836 | – | 5.1 |
| 1835 | – | 4.85 |
| 1834 | – | 4.78 |
| 1833 | – | 4.81 |
| 1832 | – | 4.45 |
| 1831 | – | 4.2 |
| 1830 | – | 3.85 |
| 1829 | – | 3.75 |
| 1828 | – | 3.57 |
| 1827 | – | 3.57 |
| 1826 | – | 3.64 |
| 1825 | – | 3.42 |
| 1824 | – | 3.3 |
| 1823 | – | 3.31 |
| 1822 | – | 3.29 |
| 1821 | – | 3.42 |
| 1820 | – | 3.71 |
| 1819 | – | 3.71 |
| 1818 | – | 3.61 |
| 1817 | – | 3.58 |
| 1816 | – | 3.97 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
- Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, 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
- 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