China vs United States: Gross domestic product (GDP)
China
35.26 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2025
United States
26.29 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2025
China rank
1st
United States rank
2nd
Gross domestic product (GDP) over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 35.26 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices against 26.29 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices in United States, a difference of 8.96 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices.
That makes China's figure about 1.3 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 198 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and United States in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.24 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 12.60 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 9.37 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | United States |
| 2000s | 8.31 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 17.13 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 8.82 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | United States |
| 2010s | 20.02 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 20.47 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 459.28 billion international-$ in 2021 prices | United States |
| 2020s | 31.29 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 24.58 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | 6.72 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gross domestic product (gdp), China or United States?
- China, at 35.26 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices against 26.29 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in gross domestic product (gdp) between China and United States?
- 8.96 trillion international-$ in 2021 prices, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for gross domestic product (gdp)?
- China ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 198 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurostat, OECD, IMF, and World Bank (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Gross domestic product (GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total economic output of a country or region per year. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.