Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) in China
China: Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) was 32.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
32.9%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
187th
of 220 countries
All-time high
63.1%
in 2006
All-time low
31.0%
in 2020
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP in China, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in China stood at 32.9%.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and down 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in China peaked at 63.1% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 31.0%, in 2020.
That places China 187th out of 220 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%) in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.8% | — |
| 2001 | 37.6% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 41.7% | +10.8% |
| 2003 | 50.5% | +21.3% |
| 2004 | 58.2% | +15.1% |
| 2005 | 61.4% | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 63.1% | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 60.4% | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 54.9% | -9.1% |
| 2009 | 42.5% | -22.5% |
| 2010 | 48.0% | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 47.5% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 44.6% | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 42.7% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 40.3% | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 35.0% | -13.0% |
| 2016 | 32.2% | -8.2% |
| 2017 | 32.8% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 32.7% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 31.4% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 31.0% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 32.9% | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 34.1% | +3.6% |
| 2023 | 32.5% | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 32.9% | +1.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 32.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 56.9%, 58% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 32.9% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 56.4%, 58% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 50.9% | 37.6% | 63.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.7% | 31.4% | 48.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.7% | 31.0% | 34.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 185 Guinea-Bissau 33.0% compare
- 186 Egypt 33.0% compare
- 188 Sri Lanka 31.9% compare
- 189 South Sudan 31.9% compare
- 190 Nepal 31.8% compare
More economy & growth data for China
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -0.8795 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.46 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.31 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0029 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 39.69 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.8948 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0021 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 28.98 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 1.91 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in China?
- Merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp in China was 32.9% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 63.1% in 2006.
- What is the lowest merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.0% in 2020.
- How does China rank for merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp?
- China ranks 187th out of 220 countries with data for 2024.
- Is merchandise trade as a proportion of gdp rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Merchandise trade as a proportion of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).