China vs Iran: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary)
China
12.6%
in 2025
Iran
12.9%
in 2025
China rank
189th
Iran rank
187th
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP (International Monetary) over time
- China
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports 12.9% against 12.6% in China, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 49 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Iran ahead.
China ranks 189th and Iran ranks 187th of 201 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 5 and Iran in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.2% | 11.1% | 9.8% | Iran |
| 1970s | 6.7% | 9.1% | 2.5% | Iran |
| 1980s | 11.6% | 7.0% | 4.5% | China |
| 1990s | 16.7% | 15.7% | 1.0% | China |
| 2000s | 21.9% | 14.6% | 7.3% | China |
| 2010s | 16.2% | 11.6% | 4.6% | China |
| 2020s | 13.3% | 12.7% | 0.7% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher value of imported goods as a share of gdp, China or Iran?
- Iran, at 12.9% against 12.6% in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in value of imported goods as a share of gdp between China and Iran?
- 0.3%, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Iran?
- 49 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2025.
- How do China and Iran rank globally for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
- China ranks 189th and Iran ranks 187th of 201 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (2026); National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Value of a country’s total goods imports, including freight and insurance costs, as a percentage of a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).