Total factor productivity in China
China: Total factor productivity was 1.01 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.01
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
29th
of 120 countries
All-time high
1.01
in 2023
All-time low
0.2275
in 1961
Years of data
68
1956–2023
Total factor productivity in China, 1956–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
China recorded 1.01 for total factor productivity in 2023. That is the highest value across all 68 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 25.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total factor productivity in China peaked at 1.01 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.2275, in 1961.
China ranks 29th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total factor productivity in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 0.294 | — |
| 1957 | 0.2908 | -1.1% |
| 1958 | 0.2933 | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 0.2735 | -6.8% |
| 1960 | 0.2777 | +1.5% |
| 1961 | 0.2275 | -18.1% |
| 1962 | 0.2284 | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 0.2379 | +4.2% |
| 1964 | 0.2591 | +8.9% |
| 1965 | 0.2784 | +7.4% |
| 1966 | 0.2837 | +1.9% |
| 1967 | 0.261 | -8.0% |
| 1968 | 0.2422 | -7.2% |
| 1969 | 0.2523 | +4.2% |
| 1970 | 0.263 | +4.2% |
| 1971 | 0.2627 | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 0.2573 | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 0.2628 | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 0.2529 | -3.8% |
| 1975 | 0.2576 | +1.9% |
| 1976 | 0.2397 | -6.9% |
| 1977 | 0.2445 | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 0.2567 | +5.0% |
| 1979 | 0.2592 | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 0.2619 | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 0.2589 | -1.1% |
| 1982 | 0.2633 | +1.7% |
| 1983 | 0.2755 | +4.6% |
| 1984 | 0.2982 | +8.2% |
| 1985 | 0.3168 | +6.2% |
| 1986 | 0.3251 | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 0.3431 | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 0.3583 | +4.4% |
| 1989 | 0.3544 | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 0.3519 | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 0.3661 | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 0.396 | +8.2% |
| 1993 | 0.4215 | +6.4% |
| 1994 | 0.4462 | +5.8% |
| 1995 | 0.4657 | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 0.4803 | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 0.4929 | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 0.4966 | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 0.5019 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.5125 | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 0.5245 | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 0.5406 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 0.5592 | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 0.58 | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 0.5921 | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 0.6339 | +7.1% |
| 2007 | 0.701 | +10.6% |
| 2008 | 0.7355 | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 0.7532 | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 0.7595 | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 0.7884 | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 0.8002 | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.8113 | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 0.8292 | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 0.8511 | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 0.8728 | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 0.8989 | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 0.9246 | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 0.9468 | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 0.9594 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 1 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 0.9954 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.01 | +1.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.01 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.9902, 1.0× the median. (33 countries reporting)
- China's 1.01 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.9955, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.2879 | 0.2735 | 0.294 | 4 |
| 1960s | 0.2548 | 0.2275 | 0.2837 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2556 | 0.2397 | 0.263 | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.3056 | 0.2589 | 0.3583 | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4419 | 0.3519 | 0.5019 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6132 | 0.5125 | 0.7532 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8483 | 0.7595 | 0.9468 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9921 | 0.9594 | 1.01 | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More economy & growth data for China
- 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 157.21 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0081 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 111.77 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 79.98 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 87.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0041 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 56.86 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.47 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total factor productivity in China?
- Total factor productivity in China was 1.01 in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest total factor productivity recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.01 in 2023.
- What is the lowest total factor productivity recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2275 in 1961.
- How does China rank for total factor productivity?
- China ranks 29th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total factor productivity rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Total factor productivity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 68 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This is the level of total factor productivity, relative to each country's value in 2021 (which is set to 1). This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.