China vs Japan: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP

China
19.0%
in 2014
Japan
17.7%
in 2014
China rank
178th
Japan rank
179th

Value of imported goods as a share of GDP over time

  • China
  • Japan
0102030186419392014

How they compare

China currently reports 19.0% against 17.7% in Japan, a difference of 1.3%.

That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 116 shared years of data; in 1868 it was Japan ahead.

China ranks 178th and Japan ranks 179th of 193 countries.

Across the 15 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and Japan in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Japan Difference Ahead
1860s 1.5% 2.7% 1.2% Japan
1870s 1.6% 4.4% 2.8% Japan
1880s 2.1% 5.1% 3.0% Japan
1890s 3.0% 9.4% 6.4% Japan
1900s 4.2% 13.1% 8.9% Japan
1910s 3.6% 14.4% 10.8% Japan
1930s 3.6% 18.2% 14.6% Japan
1940s 2.6% 8.5% 5.9% Japan
1950s 3.1% 10.3% 7.2% Japan
1960s 3.2% 9.1% 5.9% Japan
1970s 4.6% 9.8% 5.2% Japan
1980s 12.9% 9.2% 3.7% China
1990s 18.3% 6.7% 11.5% China
2000s 24.1% 10.9% 13.2% China
2010s 21.5% 15.3% 6.1% 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 Japan?
China, at 19.0% against 17.7% in Japan as of 2014.
What is the difference in value of imported goods as a share of gdp between China and Japan?
1.3%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
116 years are reported by both, from 1868 to 2014.
How do China and Japan rank globally for value of imported goods as a share of gdp?
China ranks 178th and Japan ranks 179th of 193 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed 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.

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China vs Japan: Value of imported goods as a share of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/merchandise-imports-gdp-cepii/china/japan/

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About this data

Indicator
Value of imported goods as a share of GDP
Unit
%
Source
Fouquin and Hugot (2016) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 12,772 data points, 1827–2014
Last refreshed

Estimates correspond to merchandise import-to-GDP ratios for countries and regions. All ratios are taken at current prices. See source for more details.