In 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of China amounted to around 18.7 trillion U.S. dollars. In comparison to the GDP of the other BRIC countries India, Russia and Brazil, China came first that year and second in the world GDP ranking. The stagnation of China's GDP in U.S. dollar terms in 2022 and 2023 was mainly due to the appreciation of the U.S. dollar. China's real GDP growth was 5.4 percent in 2023 and 5.0 percent in 2024. In 2024, per capita GDP in China reached around 13,300 U.S. dollars. Economic performance in China Gross domestic product (GDP) is a primary economic indicator. It measures the total value of all goods and services produced in an economy over a certain time period. China's economy used to grow quickly in the past, but the growth rate of China’s real GDP gradually slowed down in recent years, and year-on-year GDP growth is forecasted to range at only around four percent in the years after 2024. Since 2010, China has been the world’s second-largest economy, surpassing Japan.China’s emergence in the world’s economy has a lot to do with its status as the ‘world’s factory’. Since 2013, China is the largest export country in the world. Some argue that it is partly due to the undervalued Chinese currency. The Big Mac Index, a simplified and informal way to measure the purchasing power parity between different currencies, indicates that the Chinese currency yuan was roughly undervalued by 38 percent in 2024. GDP development Although the impressive economic development in China has led millions of people out of poverty, China is still not in the league of industrialized countries on the per capita basis. To name one example, the U.S. per capita economic output was more than six times as large as in China in 2024. Meanwhile, the Chinese society faces increased income disparities. The Gini coefficient of China, a widely used indicator of economic inequality, has been larger than 0.45 over the last decade, whereas 0.40 is the warning level for social unrest.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in China was worth 18743.80 billion US dollars in 2024, according to official data from the World Bank. The GDP value of China represents 17.65 percent of the world economy. This dataset provides - China GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

China's digital economy has been growing rapidly in recent years. In 2023, the economy reached a size of nearly ** trillion yuan, registering a nominal year-on-year growth of **** percent, much higher than the country's nominal GDP growth at *** percent. The digital economy accounted for around ** percent of China's GDP.

The graph shows per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in China until 2024, with forecasts until 2030. In 2024, per capita GDP reached around 13,300 U.S. dollars in China. That year, the overall GDP of China had amounted to 18.7 trillion U.S. dollars. Per capita GDP in China Gross domestic product is a commonly-used economic indicator for measuring the state of a country's economy. GDP is the total market value of goods and services produced in a country within a given period of time, usually a year. Per capita GDP is defined as the GDP divided by the total number of people in the country. This indicator is generally used to compare the economic prosperity of countries with varying population sizes.In 2010, China overtook Japan and became the world’s second-largest economy. As of 2024, it was the largest exporter and the second largest importer in the world. However, one reason behind its economic strength lies within its population size. China has to distribute its wealth among 1.4 billion people. By 2023, China's per capita GDP was only about one fourth as large as that of main industrialized countries. When compared to other emerging markets, China ranked second among BRIC countries in terms of GDP per capita. Future development According to projections by the IMF, per capita GDP in China will escalate from around 13,300 U.S. dollars in 2024 to 18,600 U.S. dollars in 2030. Major reasons for this are comparatively high economic growth rates combined with negative population growth. China's economic structure is also undergoing changes. A major trend lies in the shift from an industry-based to a service-based economy.

According to preliminary figures, the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in China amounted to 5.0 percent in 2024. For 2025, the IMF expects a GDP growth rate of around 4.8 percent. Real GDP growth The current gross domestic product is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. It refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. When analyzing year-on-year changes, the current GDP is adjusted for inflation, thus making it constant. Real GDP growth is regarded as a key indicator for economic growth as it incorporates constant GDP figures. As of 2024, China was among the leading countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide, second only to the United States which had a GDP volume of almost 29.2 trillion U.S. dollars. The Chinese GDP has shown remarkable growth over the past years. Upon closer examination of the distribution of GDP across economic sectors, a gradual shift from an economy heavily based on industrial production towards an economy focused on services becomes visible, with the service industry outpacing the manufacturing sector in terms of GDP contribution. Key indicator balance of trade Another important indicator for economic assessment is the balance of trade, which measures the relationship between imports and exports of a nation. As an economy heavily reliant on manufacturing and industrial production, China has reached a trade surplus over the last decade, with a total trade balance of around 992 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

Key information about China Real GDP Growth

• The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in China expanded 4.8 % YoY in Sep 2025, following a growth of 5.2 % in the previous quarter.
• Real GDP Growth YoY data in China is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1992 to Sep 2025, with an average rate of 7.1 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 18.9 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of -6.8 % in Mar 2020.

• In the latest reports, Nominal GDP of China reached 4,953.4 USD bn in Sep 2025.
• Its GDP deflator (implicit price deflator) fell 1.0 % in Sep 2025.
• GDP Per Capita in China reached 13,306.2 USD in Dec 2024.
• Its Gross Savings Rate was measured at 43.4 % in Dec 2024.
• For Nominal GDP contributions, Investment accounted for 40.6 % in Dec 2024.
• Public Consumption accounted for 16.6 % in Dec 2024.
• Private Consumption accounted for 39.9 % in Dec 2024.

According to preliminary data, the agricultural sector contributed around 6.8 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of China in 2024, whereas 36.5 percent of the economic value added originated from the industrial sector and 54.6 percent from the service sector, respectively. The total GDP of China at current prices amounted to approximately 134.91 trillion yuan in 2024. Economic development in China The gross domestic product (GDP) serves as a primary indicator to measure the economic performance of a country or a region. It is generally defined as the monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country in a specific period of time. It includes all of private and public spending, government spending, investments, and net exports which are calculated as total exports minus imports. In other words, GDP represents the size of the economy.With its national economy growing at an exceptional annual growth rate of above nine percent for three decades in succession, China had become the worlds’ second largest economy by 2010, surpassing all other economies but the United States. Even though China's GDP growth has cooled down in recent years, its economy still expanded at roughly two times the pace of the United States in 2024. Breakdown of GDP in China When compared to other developed countries, the proportions of agriculture and industry in China's GDP are significantly higher. Even though agriculture is a major industry in the United States, it only accounted for about one percent of the economy in 2023. While the service sector contributed to more than 70 percent of the economy in most developed countries, it's share was considerably lower in China. This was not only due to China's lower development level, but also to the country’s focus on manufacturing and export. However, as the future limitations of this growth model become more and more apparent, China is trying to shift it's economic focus to the high-tech and service sectors. Accordingly, growth rates of the service sector have been considerably higher than in industry and agriculture in the years before the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The China County-Level Data on Provincial Economic Yearbooks, Keyed To 1:1M GIS Map consists of socioeconomic and boundary data for the administrative regions of China for 1990 and 1991. The socioeconomic data includes natural resources, population, employment, investment, wage, public finance, price, people's livelihood, agriculture, industry, energy, production, transportation, telecommunication, construction, trade, tourism, environmental protection, education, science, patents, culture, sports, health care, and social welfare. The boundary data are at a scale of one to one million (1:1M) at the county level. This data set is produced in collaboration with the University of Washington as part of the China in Time and Space (CITAS) project, University of Michigan Center of China Studies (CCS), and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).

Between 2005 and 2020, the GDP of China grew from 2.3 trillion to 14.9 trillion U.S. dollars. During the same time period the GDP of the United States grew from 13 trillion to 20.8 trillion dollars. It is estimated that, by 2030, China will overtake the U.S. as the world's largest economy, with a GDP of 33.7 trillion dollars, compared to 30.5 trillion dollars; this margin of more than three trillion is predicted to increase to almost 13 trillion over the subsequent five year period.

China Population: Average Household Size data was reported at 2.800 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.760 Person for 2022. China Population: Average Household Size data is updated yearly, averaging 3.150 Person from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.430 Person in 1982 and a record low of 2.620 Person in 2020. China Population: Average Household Size data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: No of Person per Household.

In 2025, the United States had the largest economy in the world, with a gross domestic product of over 30 trillion U.S. dollars. China had the second largest economy, at around 19.23 trillion U.S. dollars. Recent adjustments in the list have seen Germany's economy overtake Japan's to become the third-largest in the world in 2023, while Brazil's economy moved ahead of Russia's in 2024. Global gross domestic product Global gross domestic product amounts to almost 110 trillion U.S. dollars, with the United States making up more than one-quarter of this figure alone. The 12 largest economies in the world include all Group of Seven (G7) economies, as well as the four largest BRICS economies. The U.S. has consistently had the world's largest economy since the interwar period, and while previous reports estimated it would be overtaken by China in the 2020s, more recent projections estimate the U.S. economy will remain the largest by a considerable margin going into the 2030s.The gross domestic product of a country is calculated by taking spending and trade into account, to show how much the country can produce in a certain amount of time, usually per year. It represents the value of all goods and services produced during that year. Those countries considered to have emerging or developing economies account for almost 60 percent of global gross domestic product, while advanced economies make up over 40 percent.

China Internet Service: Number of Internet User data was reported at 1,108.000 Person mn in Dec 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,099.670 Person mn for Jun 2024. China Internet Service: Number of Internet User data is updated semiannually, averaging 485.000 Person mn from Dec 1997 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 55 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,108.000 Person mn in Dec 2024 and a record low of 0.620 Person mn in Dec 1997. China Internet Service: Number of Internet User data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by China Internet Network Information Center. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Information and Communication Sector – Table CN.ICE: Internet: Internet Market Size. Affected by the COVID-19, the data cut-off time for the 2019 is March 2020.

China Population Census: Family Size data was reported at 2.620 Person in 12-01-2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.100 Person for 12-01-2010. China Population Census: Family Size data is updated decadal, averaging 3.960 Person from Dec 1953 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.430 Person in 12-01-1964 and a record low of 2.620 Person in 12-01-2020. China Population Census: Family Size data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: National Population Census.

More and more companies in China have opted in digitalization solutions for business operations. With a nominal year-on-year growth of *** percent in its size in 2023, China's digital economy contributed about **** percent of China's GDP that year. This underscored the industry's role in the country's economic growth.

China BERD: % of Value Added data was reported at 2.295 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.281 % for 2020. China BERD: % of Value Added data is updated yearly, averaging 1.125 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2021, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.295 % in 2021 and a record low of 0.268 % in 1996. China BERD: % of Value Added data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.OECD.MSTI: Business Enterprise Investment on Research and Development: Non OECD Member: Annual.

Definition of MSTI variables 'Value Added of Industry' and 'Industrial Employment':

R&D data are typically expressed as a percentage of GDP to allow cross-country comparisons. When compiling such indicators for the business enterprise sector, one may wish to exclude, from GDP measures, economic activities for which the Business R&D (BERD) is null or negligible by definition. By doing so, the adjusted denominator (GDP, or Value Added, excluding non-relevant industries) better correspond to the numerator (BERD) with which it is compared to.

The MSTI variable 'Value added in industry' is used to this end:

It is calculated as the total Gross Value Added (GVA) excluding 'real estate activities' (ISIC rev.4 68) where the 'imputed rent of owner-occupied dwellings', specific to the framework of the System of National Accounts, represents a significant share of total GVA and has no R&D counterpart. Moreover, the R&D performed by the community, social and personal services is mainly driven by R&D performers other than businesses.

Consequently, the following service industries are also excluded: ISIC rev.4 84 to 88 and 97 to 98. GVA data are presented at basic prices except for the People's Republic of China, Japan and New Zealand (expressed at producers' prices).In the same way, some indicators on R&D personnel in the business sector are expressed as a percentage of industrial employment. The latter corresponds to total employment excluding ISIC rev.4 68, 84 to 88 and 97 to 98.

The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, around 22.2 percent of the workforce were employed in the agricultural sector, 29 percent in the industrial sector and 48.8 percent in the service sector. In 2022, the share of agriculture had increased for the first time in more than two decades, which highlights the difficult situation of the labor market due to the pandemic and economic downturn at the end of the year. Distribution of the workforce in China In 2012, China became the largest exporting country worldwide with an export value of about two trillion U.S. dollars. China’s economic system is largely based on growth and export, with the manufacturing sector being a crucial contributor to the country’s export competitiveness. Economic development was accompanied by a steady rise of labor costs, as well as a significant slowdown in labor force growth. These changes present a serious threat to the era of China as the world’s factory. The share of workforce in agriculture also steadily decreased in China until 2021, while the agricultural gross production value displayed continuous growth, amounting to approximately 7.8 trillion yuan in 2021. Development of the service sector Since 2011, the largest share of China’s labor force has been employed in the service sector. However, compared with developed countries, such as Japan or the United States, where 73 and 79 percent of the work force were active in services in 2023 respectively, the proportion of people working in the tertiary sector in China has been relatively low. The Chinese government aims to continue economic reform by moving from an emphasis on investment to consumption, among other measures. This might lead to a stronger service economy. Meanwhile, the size of the urban middle class in China is growing steadily. A growing number of affluent middle class consumers could promote consumption and help China move towards a balanced economy.

China Retail Sales of Consumer Goods: YoY: Year to Date: Above Designated Size Enterprise data was reported at 5.700 % in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.300 % for Feb 2025. China Retail Sales of Consumer Goods: YoY: Year to Date: Above Designated Size Enterprise data is updated monthly, averaging 7.800 % from Feb 2011 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 156 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 43.900 % in Feb 2021 and a record low of -23.400 % in Feb 2020. China Retail Sales of Consumer Goods: YoY: Year to Date: Above Designated Size Enterprise data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.HA: Retail Sales of Consumer Goods: Above Designated Size Enterprise: by Commodity . [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Each year, there are about five million SMEs more in China, representing at least a ten percent year-over-year growth rate. Since the economic reformation in China, SMEs have become one of the driving forces in the economy. In 2019, the number of SMEs was estimated to be over ** million. In Beijing alone, there were over ***** industrial SMEs generating more than *** billion U.S. dollars annual revenue in 2017.  SME classification in China   The classification of SMEs  in China is quite complex with specific criteria for different industries. According to the SME Promotion Law of China, SMEs are classified based on the number of employees, annual revenue and total assets. For example, a medium-sized agricultural enterprise is required to hire a minimum of five hundred people. A small-sized construction enterprise can have a maximum business revenue of *** million U.S. dollars. Compared to the SMEs in other economies which often employ below 100 or 500 people, SMEs in China are relatively quite big. Contribution to the economy and outlook   SMEs are an important impetus to the economic development in China. Currently, SMEs represent more than ** percent of the enterprises in the country. They also contribute over ** percent to the GDP, over ** percent to patents, and account for ** percent of nationwide jobs in the country. However, the lifecycle of SMEs in China is often impeded by rising costs, financing difficulties, and limited innovation capacity. To support the growth of SMEs, the Chinese government decided to reduce the targeted reserve requirement ratio and readjust tax policies in early 2019. This could probably attract more investors on the SME board. With a booming e-commerce economy in China, some SMEs have developed their B2B e-commerce platforms to expand their revenue sources. The revenue of these e-commerce platforms was expected to reach *** billion U.S. dollars in 2020. 

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the BRICS countries have been considered the five foremost developing economies in the world. Originally, the term BRIC was used by economists when talking about the emerging economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, however these countries have held annual summits since 2009, and the group has expanded to include South Africa since 2010. China has the largest GDP of the BRICS country, at 16.86 trillion U.S. dollars in 2021, while the others are all below three trillion. Combined, the BRICS bloc has a GDP over 25.85 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022, which is slightly more than the United States. BRICS economic development China has consistently been the largest economy of this bloc, and its rapid growth has seen it become the second largest economy in the world, behind the U.S.. China's growth has also been much faster than the other BRICS countries; for example, when compared with the second largest BRICS economy, its GDP was less than double the size of Brazil's in 2000, but is almost six times larger than India's in 2021. Since 2000, the country with the second largest GDP has fluctuated between Brazil, Russia, and India, due to a variety of factors, although India has held this position since 2015 (when the other two experienced recession), and it's growth rate is on track to surpass China's in the coming decade. South Africa has consistently had the smallest economy of the BRICS bloc, and it has just the third largest economy in Africa; its inclusion in this group is due to the fact that it is the most advanced and stable major economy in Africa, and it holds strategic importance due to the financial potential of the continent in the coming decades. Future developments It is predicted that China's GDP will overtake that of the U.S. by the end of the 2020s, to become the largest economy in the world, while some also estimate that India will also overtake the U.S. around the middle of the century. Additionally, the BRICS group is more than just an economic or trading bloc, and its New Development Bank was established in 2014 to invest in sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy across the globe. While relations between its members were often strained or of less significance in the 20th century, their current initiatives have given them a much greater international influence. The traditional great powers represented in the Group of Seven (G7) have seen their international power wane in recent decades, while BRICS countries have seen theirs grow, especially on a regional level. Today, the original BRIC countries combine with the Group of Seven (G7), to make up 11 of the world's 12 largest economies, but it is predicted that they will move further up on this list in the coming decades.

Population: Average Household Size: Beijing data was reported at 2.460 Person in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.440 Person for 2022. Population: Average Household Size: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 2.620 Person from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.690 Person in 1982 and a record low of 2.310 Person in 2020. Population: Average Household Size: Beijing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: No of Person per Household.