Comparing United States and China by Economy (2024)

The United States and China are the two largest economies globally in both Nominal and PPP methods. US is at the top in nominal, whereas China is at the top in PPP since 2017 after overtaking the US. As of 2021, both countries together share 41.89% and 34.75% of the entire world's GDP in nominal and PPP terms, respectively. The GDP of both countries is higher than the 3rd ranked country Japan (nominal) and India (PPP) by a huge margin. Therefore, only these two compete to become first.

As per projections by IMF for 2021, United States is leading by $6,033 bn or 1.36 times on an exchange rate basis. The economy of China is Int. $3,982 billion or 1.18x of the US on purchasingpower parity basis. According to estimates by World Bank, China's gdp was approx 11% of the US in 1960, but in 2019 it is 67%.

Due to the vast population of China, more than four times of US's population, the difference between thesetwo countries is very high in terms of per capita income. The Per capita income of the United States is 5.78 and 3.61 times higher than that of China in nominal and PPP terms, respectively. The US is the 5th richest country in the world, whereas China comes at 63rd rank. On a PPP basis, The United States is in 8th position, and China is at 76th.

China attains a maximum gdp growth rate of 19.30% in 1970 and a minimum of -27.27% in 1961. During the period 1961 to 2019, China grew by more than 10% in 22 years. The United States reached an all-time high of 7.24% in 1984 and a record low of-2.54% in 2009. GDP growth rate was negative in eight years for the US. China showed negative growth in four years.

According to World Factbook, China is ahead of the US in Agriculture and Industry sector. Agriculture Output of United States is only 17.58% of China and 77.58% for the Industry sector. The services sector of the US is more than double of China.

  • GDP
  • GDP per capita
  • GDP growth
Projections by IMF
YearNominal GDP (billions $)PPP GDP (billions Int. $)Nominal GDP capita ($)PPP GDP capita (Int. $)Growth (%)
USChinaUSChinaUSChinaUSChinaUSChina
202020,932.7514,722.8420,932.7524,142.8363,41610,48463,41617,192-3.5052.270
202122,675.2716,642.3222,675.2726,656.7768,30911,81968,30918,9316.3868.437
202224,003.7018,013.4024,003.7028,779.5371,89612,76371,89620,3923.5155.574
202324,892.6119,423.4824,892.6131,031.0074,13013,73674,13021,9451.4105.439
202425,790.1220,910.4725,790.1233,351.2776,36214,76576,36223,5491.4815.273
202526,719.6322,481.4326,719.6335,748.1278,66015,85578,66025,2121.6075.121
202627,659.1524,127.8327,659.1538,189.8880,95917,00380,95926,9131.6104.863
Estimates by World Bank
YearNominal GDP (billions $)PPP GDP (billions Int. $)Nominal GDP capita ($)PPP GDP capita (Int. $)Growth (%)
USChinaUSChinaUSChinaUSChinaUSChina
1960543.3059.72--3,00790----
1961563.3050.06--3,06776--2.300-27.270
1962605.1047.21--3,24471--6.100-5.580
1963638.6050.71--3,37574--4.40010.300
1964685.8059.71--3,57485--5.80018.180
1965743.7070.44--3,82898--6.40016.950
1966815.0076.72--4,146104--6.50010.650
1967861.7072.88--4,33697--2.500-5.770
1968942.5070.85--4,69691--4.800-4.100
19691,019.9079.71--5,032100--3.10016.940
19701,073.3092.60--5,234113---0.41019.300
19711,164.8599.80--5,609119--3.2937.060
19721,279.11113.69--6,094132--5.2593.810
19731,425.38138.54--6,726157--5.6467.760
19741,545.24144.18--7,226160---0.5412.310
19751,684.90163.43--7,801178---0.2058.720
19761,873.41153.94--8,592165--5.388-1.570
19772,081.83174.94--9,453185--4.6247.570
19782,351.60149.54--10,565156--5.53511.326
19792,627.33178.28--11,674184--3.1667.591
19802,857.31191.15--12,575195---0.2577.834
19813,207.04195.87--13,976197--2.5385.113
19823,343.79205.09--14,434203---1.8039.017
19833,634.04230.69--15,544225--4.58410.770
19844,037.61259.95--17,121251--7.23715.192
19854,338.98309.49--18,237294--4.17013.431
19864,579.63300.76--19,071282--3.4638.950
19874,855.22272.97--20,039252--3.46011.657
19885,236.44312.35--21,417284--4.17711.223
19895,641.58347.77--22,857311--3.6734.206
19905,963.14360.865,963.141,115.3223,88931823,8899831.8863.920
19916,158.13383.376,158.131,259.8424,34233324,3421,095-0.1089.263
19926,520.33426.926,520.331,471.8425,41936625,4191,2633.52214.225
19936,858.56444.736,858.561,715.9026,38737726,3871,4562.75313.884
19947,287.24564.337,287.241,981.0227,69547327,6951,6624.02913.037
19957,639.75734.557,639.752,244.1128,69161028,6911,8632.68410.954
19968,073.12863.758,073.122,511.9529,96870929,9682,0633.7739.923
19978,577.55961.608,577.552,791.2931,45978231,4592,2694.4479.237
19989,062.821,029.049,062.823,044.1732,85482932,8542,4514.4817.846
19999,630.661,094.009,630.663,324.7334,51487334,5142,6544.7537.662
200010,252.301,211.3510,252.303,687.6336,33595936,3352,9214.1278.490
200110,581.801,339.4010,581.804,082.6537,1331,05337,1333,2100.9988.336
200210,936.401,470.5510,936.404,526.0238,0231,14938,0233,5351.7429.134
200311,458.201,660.2911,458.205,072.8339,4961,28939,4963,9372.86110.038
200412,213.701,955.3512,213.705,736.2641,7131,50941,7134,4263.79910.114
200513,036.602,285.9713,036.606,588.9344,1151,75344,1155,0543.51311.395
200613,814.602,752.1313,814.607,651.8646,2992,09946,2995,8372.85512.721
200714,451.903,550.3414,451.908,975.5947,9762,69447,9766,8111.87614.231
200814,712.804,594.3114,712.8010,033.2048,3833,46848,3837,574-0.1379.651
200914,448.905,101.7014,448.9011,059.9047,1003,83247,1008,308-2.5379.399
201014,992.106,087.1614,992.1012,378.8048,4674,55048,4679,2542.56410.636
201115,542.607,551.5015,542.6013,844.4049,8835,61849,88310,3001.5519.551
201216,197.008,532.2316,197.0015,124.5051,6036,31751,60311,1982.2507.864
201316,784.809,570.4116,784.8016,185.1053,1077,05153,10711,9241.8427.766
201417,527.2010,475.7017,527.2017,121.3055,0507,67955,05012,5502.5267.426
201518,238.3011,061.6018,238.3017,796.7056,8638,06756,86312,9793.0767.041
201618,745.1011,233.3018,745.1018,712.1058,0218,14858,02113,5731.7116.849
201719,543.0012,310.4019,543.0019,887.0060,1108,87960,11014,3442.3336.947
201820,611.9013,894.8020,611.9021,739.1063,0649,97763,06415,6092.9966.750
201921,433.2014,279.9021,433.2023,443.7065,28010,21765,28016,7732.1615.950
202020,936.6014,722.7020,936.6024,273.4063,54410,50063,54417,312-3.4862.300
Comparing United States and China by Economy (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between the US economy and the China economy? ›

The U.S. currently has the largest economy in the world by far with $23 trillion in 2021 GDP, according to the World Bank's data, while China has the second-largest GDP at $18 trillion and India the sixth-largest at $3 trillion.

Will China beat USA in economy? ›

China to surpass US to become number one economy in the world. The United States has restricted exports of critical semiconductor components and technology to China, Beijing's bid to topple Washington as the No 1 economy faces 'unprecedented' pressure, according to The Star reports.

Which country has the larger economy -- the United States or China? ›

China is already the world's largest economy, its economy is more than 20 percent larger than the US economy, according to the IMF.

Is China the number 1 economy in the world? ›

It is the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP, behind the United States, and the world's largest economy since 2016 when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). Due to a volatile currency exchange rate, China's GDP as measured in dollars fluctuates sharply.

What is the difference between United States and China? ›

Chinese people value collectivism the most in their ideology, but Americans hold the belief in individualism. The difference between Chinese and American ideology mainly exhibits from their different government structure, epidemic prevention performance, and working environment.

Is China richer than the US? ›

The United States is the richest country in the world with the highest GDP, as of 2021. China is the second richest country in the world with a $17.734 trillion GDP.

What year will China overtake the US economy? ›

At the end of last year the bank revisited its calculations. It now thinks China's economy will not overtake America's until 2035 and at its high point will be only 14% bigger (see chart).

Is the US still the strongest economy? ›

The United States remains the largest economy in the world, though China threatens that status in the future, given its larger population and faster economic growth relative to other countries in recent decades.

Does China owe the US money? ›

As of January 2023, the five countries owning the most US debt are Japan ($1.1 trillion), China ($859 billion), the United Kingdom ($668 billion), Belgium ($331 billion), and Luxembourg ($318 billion).

Is China more advanced than the US? ›

In other words, on a proportional basis, China is now roughly 75 percent as advanced in innovation and advanced-industry production as the United States. If this relative growth continues apace, China will surpass the United States by 2035.

Which is strongest economy in world? ›

According to the latest available data from the World Bank, the United States of America is currently the world's largest economy, with a GDP of over $23 trillion in 2021.

Is the US economy growing faster than China's? ›

China Is Growing Much Faster Than the U.S. Why It Matters for Global Power.

Is the US #1 in economy? ›

America is the world's largest national economy and leading global trader.

Why is China's economy so strong? ›

Driven by industrial production and manufacturing exports, China's GDP is actually now the largest in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) equivalence. Despite this growth, China's economy remains strictly controlled by its government where there are accusations of corruption, unfair dealings, and falsified data.

What is China's main economy? ›

Key Takeaways

The major sectors and industries driving growth for China include the services sector, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. China is also one of the world's largest exporters and importers in the world.

Is China education better than the US? ›

Neither system is better than the other, but in the world of education, it is important to develop an international awareness and acceptance of different learning approaches, cultures and knowledge.

How much poverty is in China compared to the United States? ›

老真天真:The poverty line in the US is USD 15 daily per capita income, while in China, it is RMB 6.3 (USD 0.99). The US poverty standard is 15 times higher than the Chinese counterpart.

What is the average income per person in China? ›

Median salary

The median salary in China is 26,800 Yuan (USD 3,855) per month. That means half of the population draws an average income less than the median salary. In contrast, the other half earns more than the median salary.

What is the wealthiest country in the United States? ›

Richest counties in the U.S. by median and mean income and poverty rate
RankCountyState
1Falls Church cityVirginia
2Loudoun CountyVirginia
3San Mateo CountyCalifornia
4Santa Clara CountyCalifornia
16 more rows
Jan 31, 2023

How much does the US owe China? ›

China holds about $1 trillion of U.S. debt, about 3% of all U.S. debt outstanding.

Is China more poor than the US? ›

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In China, however, that number is 0.6% as of 2019. United States has a GDP per capita of $60,200 as of 2020, while in China, the GDP per capita is $16,400 as of 2020.

Is China in a debt crisis? ›

China's $23 Trillion Local Debt Crisis Threatens Xi's Economy - Bloomberg.

Will China surpass the US in technology? ›

The United States and other western countries are losing the race with China to develop advanced technologies and retain talent, with Beijing potentially establishing a monopoly in some areas, a new report has said.

Which country will be richest in 2030? ›

GDP forecast 2030
  • 1 92.5 China. $ 43.879 Tn 2030.
  • 2 60.5 United States. $ 28.708 Tn 2030.
  • 3 37.8 — India. $ 17.948 Tn 2030.
  • 4 13.3 Japan. $ 6.337 Tn 2030.
  • 5 12.5 Indonesia. $ 5.951 Tn 2030.
  • 6 10.4 Russia. $ 4.973 Tn 2030.
  • 7 6.8 South Korea. $ 3.282 Tn 2030.
  • 8 +4 4.5 Pakistan. $ 2.159 Tn 2030.

Who has a better economy than the US? ›

The United States and China are the two largest economies globally in both Nominal and PPP methods. US is at the top in nominal, whereas China is at the top in PPP since 2017 after overtaking the US.

What is the greatest weakness in the US economy? ›

WEAKNESSES
  • Low labour market participation.
  • High household debt.
  • Polarised political landscape.
  • Decrease in fertility rate.
  • Outdated infrastructure.
  • Growing income and wealth inequalities overlapping with territorial and racial inequalities.
  • Trade conflict and technological competition with China.

Who is the richest government in the world? ›

The GDP per capita is calculated by dividing a country's GDP by its population. Thus, the richest countries in the world are those with the highest GDP per capita. Currently, the richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita is Luxembourg, with a GDP per capita of $135,700.

Which country has no debt? ›

The 20 countries with the lowest national debt in 2022 in relation to gross domestic product (GDP)
CharacteristicNational debt in relation to GDP
Macao SAR0%
Brunei Darussalam2.06%
Kuwait2.92%
Hong Kong SAR4.26%
9 more rows
May 11, 2023

What country holds the most U.S. debt? ›

According to usafacts.org, as of January 2023, Japan owned $1.1 trillion in US Treasuries, making it the largest foreign holder of the national debt. The second-largest holder is China, which owned $859 billion of US debt.

Who owns most of U.S. debt? ›

Domestic Holders of Federal Debt

The Federal Reserve, which purchases and sells Treasury securities as a means to influence federal interest rates and the nation's money supply, is the largest holder of such debt.

What would happen if the US stopped importing from China? ›

This data suggests that if U.S. hypothetically stops buying Chinese goods, China's export will suffer a 18% loss, which accounts for 18%*20% = 3.6% of China's GDP. It is unlikely a 3.6% loss in GDP will collapse the Chinese economy.

Does the US rely on China? ›

China has the third largest share in U.S.–World Trade following Mexico and Canada. In 2021, 8.6% of total U.S. exports of $1.8 trillion to the World were exported to China and 17.9% of total U.S. Imports of $2.8 trillion were imported from China.

Which country technology is best in the world? ›

  • Japan. #1 in Technological expertise. ...
  • South Korea. #2 in Technological expertise. ...
  • China. #3 in Technological expertise. ...
  • United States. #4 in Technological expertise. ...
  • Germany. #5 in Technological expertise. ...
  • Singapore. #6 in Technological expertise. ...
  • United Kingdom. #7 in Technological expertise. ...
  • Russia. #8 in Technological expertise.

Which country will rule the world in 2025? ›

According to a recent report by Harvard University, “From economic complexity growth estimates, India is growing at the annual list at the rate of 7.9 percent as the fastest growing country for the coming decade.

Who controls the world economy? ›

The IMF monitors the international monetary system and global economic developments to identify risks and recommend policies for growth and financial stability. The Fund also undertakes a regular health check of the economic and financial policies of its 190 member countries.

Which country will be richest in 2050? ›

Richest Country in 2050 will be United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's Gross Domestic Product in 2050 is estimated to be 3.58 trillion US dollars, with a per capita income of 49,412 US dollars. The present gap between the British economic wealth and Germany's economic wealth will contract significantly.

Why is China's economy slowing down? ›

But China's economy has been slowing because of structural conditions that predate the pandemic. The limits to its growth have been apparent for a decade, and observers recognize that the Chinese economy can no longer produce the eye-watering rates of growth that sustained global excitement in previous decades.

Where is America's fastest growing economy? ›

GDP by State: GDP Growth Over 1 Year
RankState2021:Q4
1Hawaii$75,981,600,000
2Nevada$159,708,000,000
3California$2,946,067,200,000
4Tennessee$351,709,500,000
47 more rows
May 17, 2022

What is China's rank in terms of worldwide economy? ›

Biggest economies in 2021 by gross domestic product
RankCountryGDP in $ per capita
1United States70,249
2China12,556
3Japan39,313
4Germany51,204
46 more rows

What stage is the US economy in right now? ›

The US is in the late-cycle expansion phase, with a rising likelihood of recession in the second half of 2023. While lagging indicators such as the unemployment rate are holding up, leading indicators in the housing, manufacturing, and credit sectors are signaling a growth slowdown.

Why is America's economy so strong? ›

There are two things that matter to an economy in the long term: the size of its workforce and the productivity thereof. A higher fertility rate and a more open immigration system have long given America a demographic advantage over most other wealthy countries, and that continues.

How much debt is the US in? ›

In this graphic, Julie Peasley shows how many one-dollar bills it would take to stack up to the total U.S. debt of $31.4 trillion.

Is China's economy better than ours? ›

Previously, there were always unfavorable factors for China's economy every year, but not only China's GDP growth rate exceeded that of the US but also its actual increment is bigger than the US' and that has lasted for quite some years.

How much debt is China in? ›

In this line, data acquired by Finbold indicates that as of April 12, China's national debt amounted to $14.34 trillion, ranking second globally. This value reflects a year-on-year (YoY) increase of $3.81 trillion, or 36.18%, compared to the $10.53 trillion recorded in 2022.

Does China have a weak economy? ›

For 2022, GDP expanded 3.0%, badly missing the official target of "around 5.5%" and braking sharply from 8.4% growth in 2021. Excluding the 2.2% expansion after the initial COVID hit in 2020, it's the worst showing since 1976 - the final year of the decade-long Cultural Revolution that wrecked the economy.

What type of economy is United States? ›

There are many different types of economic systems used throughout the world. Some examples are socialism, communism, and capitalism. The United States has a capitalistic system.

Does China have the best economy in the world? ›

China is already the world's largest economy, its economy is more than 20 percent larger than the US economy, according to the IMF.

What is the most common job in China? ›

This is because teaching is one of the most common occupations in China, with some estimates putting the number of teachers at around 60 million. Teaching has become a popular career choice for young Chinese because of the many career opportunities available to those who have a teaching qualification.

What makes the US economy different? ›

Created by the United States Constitution, the U.S. has a mixed economy, meaning that it combines elements of the command and market economic models. In terms of consumer goods and business services, the United States economy operates as a free market.

How are the United States and China's mixed economy different? ›

China has a socialist market economy, where the United States has a mixed market economy. Both industrialized countries have a combination of socialist and capitalist policies in place..

What type of economy does China have? ›

While initially founded as a socialist state with a centrally planned economy, it now has a mixed economy, described by its government as “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”. China has enjoyed almost 30 boom years with GDP growing in double-digits, raising 500 million people out of poverty.

How is the United States economy different from other economies? ›

The U.S. has a mixed economy that blends some aspects of command and market economies. Relative to other countries around the world, the U.S. is among the more market-oriented nations, but it imposes strict regulations and controls in some areas.

What makes USA the strongest economy? ›

There are two things that matter to an economy in the long term: the size of its workforce and the productivity thereof. A higher fertility rate and a more open immigration system have long given America a demographic advantage over most other wealthy countries, and that continues.

What makes American economy so strong? ›

All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars. The American economy is fueled by high productivity, transportation infrastructure, and extensive natural resources. Americans have the highest average household and employee income among OECD member states.

What makes up most of the US economy? ›

In 2022, the finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing industry contributed the highest amount of value to the GDP of the U.S. at 20.2 percent. The construction industry contributed around four percent of GDP in the same year.

What is the current economic relationship between US and China? ›

China is currently our largest goods trading partner with $559.2 billion in total (two way) goods trade during 2020. Goods exports totaled $124.5 billion; goods imports totaled $434.7 billion. The U.S. goods trade deficit with China was $310.3 billion in 2020.

What is the comparative advantage of China and US? ›

Chinese workers produce simple consumer goods at a much lower opportunity cost. The United States' comparative advantage is in specialized, capital-intensive labor. American workers produce sophisticated goods or investment opportunities at lower opportunity costs.

What makes China so successful? ›

China's economy has grown to one of the largest and most powerful in the world over the past few decades. Driven by industrial production and manufacturing exports, China's GDP is actually now the largest in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) equivalence.

Does China have a strong economy? ›

Household expenditure as a share of total GDP sat at about 38 percent by the end of 2021, far below the global average of 63 percent, leaving China with one of the weakest consumption levels among the world's major economies.

How is the US economy a mixed economy? ›

The United States is said to have a mixed economy because privately owned businesses and government both play important roles. Indeed, some of the most enduring debates of American economic history focus on the relative roles of the public and private sectors.

Does the United States have the strongest economy in the world? ›

The economic strength of a country is determined by its gross domestic product (GDP). In other words, the amount of all income generated in the country from the sale of goods and services. With a GDP of 23.32 trillion dollars, the USA is by far the world's largest economy in this ranking for 2021.

Why is a mixed economy the best? ›

The advantage of mixed economy is that it provides more opportunities to people who are less fortunate than others. The mixed economy allows everyone to benefit from the wealth generated by the market. This means that those with lower incomes will receive benefits such as healthcare, education, and housing.

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