China vs European Union: Gross national expenditure
Gross national expenditure over time
- China
- European Union
How they compare
European Union currently reports 20.43 trillion current US$ against 18.20 trillion current US$ in China, a difference of 2.24 trillion current US$.
That makes European Union's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 55 shared years of data; in 1970 it was European Union ahead.
China ranks 2nd and European Union ranks 1st of 185 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and European Union in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | European Union | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 137.56 billion current US$ | 1.65 trillion current US$ | 1.51 trillion current US$ | European Union |
| 1980s | 265.40 billion current US$ | 3.61 trillion current US$ | 3.35 trillion current US$ | European Union |
| 1990s | 673.16 billion current US$ | 7.41 trillion current US$ | 6.74 trillion current US$ | European Union |
| 2000s | 2.49 trillion current US$ | 11.31 trillion current US$ | 8.82 trillion current US$ | European Union |
| 2010s | 10.47 trillion current US$ | 14.57 trillion current US$ | 4.10 trillion current US$ | European Union |
| 2020s | 17.26 trillion current US$ | 17.02 trillion current US$ | 233.78 billion current US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher gross national expenditure, China or European Union?
- European Union, at 20.43 trillion current US$ against 18.20 trillion current US$ in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in gross national expenditure between China and European Union?
- 2.24 trillion current US$, with European Union ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and European Union?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do China and European Union rank globally for gross national expenditure?
- China ranks 2nd and European Union ranks 1st of 185 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks, published as Gross national expenditure (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Gross national expenditure is the sum of household final consumption expenditure, general government final consumption expenditure, and gross capital formation. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.