China
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: People's Republic of China.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
China's population began shrinking in 2022, its first annual decline in about six decades.
Matchup file
China vs United States
124 shared metrics.
Turn the comparison into a round
Think you can spot the next winner?
United States leads by 32 metrics. Use the same instinct in a quick real-data brawl.
Country briefing
What matters for both sides
Short real-world notes so the comparison reads like more than a stat strip.
United States
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: United States of America.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
The U.S. grew by 3.3 million people in 2024; net international migration drove 84% of that jump.
Analysis
United States leads in 78 of 124 shared metrics, while China leads in 46.
China's Political Corruption Index is 8.2x that of United States (0.55 vs 0.06).
China's Border Neighbors is 7.0x that of United States (16 vs 2.0).
China's Domestic Patents is 4.4x that of United States (1.43M vs 262.2K).
China's Air Pollution (PM2.5) is 3.5x that of United States (34.81 µg/m³ vs 7.8 µg/m³).
China's Shipping Traffic is 3.3x that of United States (268.99M vs 62.21M).
Key Comparisons
Political Corruption IndexChina leads
China
0.55
United States
0.06
Border NeighborsChina leads
China
16
United States
2.0
Domestic PatentsChina leads
China
1.43M
United States
262.2K
Air Pollution (PM2.5)China leads
China
34.81 µg/m³
United States
7.8 µg/m³
Shipping TrafficChina leads
China
268.99M
United States
62.21M
PopulationChina leads
China
1.41B
United States
338.02M
All Metrics
Political Corruption Index
ChinaChina
0.55
United States
0.06
823% higher
Border Neighbors
ChinaChina
16
United States
2.0
700% higher
Domestic Patents
ChinaChina
1.43M
United States
262.2K
444% higher
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
ChinaChina
34.81 µg/m³
United States
7.8 µg/m³
345% higher
Shipping Traffic
ChinaChina
268.99M
United States
62.21M
332% higher
Population
ChinaChina
1.41B
United States
338.02M
316% higher
Population Density
ChinaChina
150.26 /km²
United States
36.82 /km²
308% higher
Coal Electricity Share
ChinaChina
54.35%
United States
16.31%
233% higher
Irrigated Land
ChinaChina
690.1K km²
United States
234.8K km²
194% higher
Total CO2 Emissions
ChinaChina
13.1K Mt CO2e
United States
4.6K Mt CO2e
183% higher
Electric Generating Capacity
ChinaChina
2.95B kW
United States
1.24B kW
139% higher
Merchant Fleet Size
ChinaChina
8.3K
United States
3.5K
135% higher
Electricity Generation
ChinaChina
10.1K TWh
United States
4.4K TWh
130% higher
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
ChinaChina
60 sites
United States
27 sites
122% higher
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
United StatesChina
0.01 per 1M people
United States
0.72 per 1M people
99% lower
Scientific Publications
ChinaChina
898.9K
United States
457.3K
97% higher
Airports
United StatesChina
571
United States
16.2K
96% lower
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
United StatesChina
1.6 per 1M people
United States
40.59 per 1M people
96% lower
Health Spending Per Capita
United StatesChina
$672.45
United States
$12,434.43
95% lower
Firms Asked for Bribes
United StatesChina
0.14% of firms
United States
2.5% of firms
94% lower
Freedom of Expression Index
United StatesChina
0.04
United States
0.73
94% lower
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
United StatesChina
0.22 per 100k people
United States
3.8 per 100k people
94% lower
Liberal Democracy Index
United StatesChina
0.04
United States
0.57
93% lower
Inflation Rate
United StatesChina
0.20%
United States
2.9%
93% lower
Homicide Rate
United StatesChina
0.50 per 100k
United States
5.8 per 100k
91% lower
Electoral Democracy Index
United StatesChina
0.07
United States
0.73
90% lower
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
United StatesChina
0.10% of GDP
United States
1.0% of GDP
90% lower
Milk Consumption per Person
United StatesChina
32.66 kg/person/yr
United States
254.69 kg/person/yr
87% lower
Land Border Length
ChinaChina
22.5K km
United States
12.0K km
87% higher
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
ChinaChina
5.0 per 1k
United States
2.7 per 1k
85% higher
Firms Hit by Power Outages
United StatesChina
3.7% of firms
United States
25.17% of firms
85% lower
GNI Per Capita
United StatesChina
$13,660
United States
$83,490
84% lower
Armed Forces Personnel
ChinaChina
2.54M
United States
1.40M
82% higher
Obesity Rate
United StatesChina
8.2%
United States
42.87%
81% lower
Seafood Consumption per Person
ChinaChina
40.33 kg/person/yr
United States
22.45 kg/person/yr
80% higher
Exports (% GDP)
ChinaChina
20.02% of GDP
United States
11.11% of GDP
80% higher
GDP Growth Rate
ChinaChina
5.0%
United States
2.8%
78% higher
Vehicles per 1,000 People
United StatesChina
212.35 per 1k people
United States
874.14 per 1k people
76% lower
Time Zones Count
United StatesChina
4.0 time zones
United States
16 time zones
75% lower
Nuclear Electricity Share
United StatesChina
4.9%
United States
18.5%
74% lower
Beer Consumption
United StatesChina
1.1 L/person/yr
United States
4.0 L/person/yr
71% lower
Nurses & Midwives
United StatesChina
3.5 per 1k
United States
11.88 per 1k
70% lower
Youth Unemployment Rate
ChinaChina
15.79% of youth labor force
United States
9.3% of youth labor force
69% higher
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
United StatesChina
$27,104.87
United States
$85,809.9
68% lower
Health Spending (% GDP)
United StatesChina
5.4% of GDP
United States
16.5% of GDP
67% lower
Researchers
United StatesChina
1.8K per 1M
United States
4.8K per 1M
62% lower
Teen Birth Rate
United StatesChina
5.2 per 1k
United States
13.14 per 1k
60% lower
Government Debt (% GDP)
United StatesChina
47% of GDP
United States
118.11% of GDP
60% lower
Energy Use (Per Capita)
United StatesChina
2.9K kg oil eq/person
United States
6.4K kg oil eq/person
55% lower
Alcohol Consumption
United StatesChina
4.6 L/adult/yr
United States
9.9 L/adult/yr
54% lower
Foreign Patents
United StatesChina
159.0K
United States
329.2K
52% lower
Meat Consumption per Person
United StatesChina
60.6 kg/person/yr
United States
124.11 kg/person/yr
51% lower
Military Spending
United StatesChina
1.7% of GDP
United States
3.4% of GDP
50% lower
Official Languages Count
United StatesChina
1.0
United States
2.0
50% lower
Railway Length
United StatesChina
150.0K km
United States
293.6K km
49% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
ChinaChina
22.7% of adults
United States
15.2% of adults
49% higher
Firms Making Informal Payments
United StatesChina
0.29% of firms
United States
0.56% of firms
49% lower
Electricity Use (Per Capita)
United StatesChina
6.5K kWh/person
United States
12.6K kWh/person
48% lower
Renewable Energy (%)
ChinaChina
17.47%
United States
12.05%
45% higher
Suicide Rate
United StatesChina
8.9 per 100k
United States
15.63 per 100k
43% lower
Highest Elevation
ChinaChina
8.8K m
United States
6.2K m
43% higher
Big Mac Price
United StatesChina
$3.66
United States
$6.12
40% lower
Capital Elevation
United StatesChina
43 m
United States
72 m
40% lower
Renewable Energy (%)
ChinaChina
15.2%
United States
10.9%
39% higher
CO2 Per Capita
United StatesChina
8.7 t/person/yr
United States
14.2 t/person/yr
39% lower
Electricity Carbon Intensity
ChinaChina
525.34 gCO2/kWh
United States
384.4 gCO2/kWh
37% higher
GDP (Nominal)
United StatesChina
$18,743,803,170,827.2
United States
$28,750,956,130,731.2
35% lower
Air Passengers
United StatesChina
619.22M
United States
941.56M
34% lower
Corruption Perceptions Index
United StatesChina
43 pts
United States
64 pts
33% lower
Tourist Arrivals
United StatesChina
30.40M
United States
45.04M
32% lower
Birth Rate
United StatesChina
7.3 per 1k
United States
10.75 per 1k
32% lower
Spirits Consumption
United StatesChina
2.5 L/person/yr
United States
3.6 L/person/yr
31% lower
Credit Card Ownership
United StatesChina
46.03% of adults
United States
66.7% of adults
31% lower
Tax Revenue (% GDP)
United StatesChina
7.6% of GDP
United States
10.89% of GDP
30% lower
Women's Political Empowerment
United StatesChina
0.59
United States
0.83
29% lower
Solar Electricity Share
ChinaChina
11.1%
United States
8.6%
29% higher
Forest Coverage (%)
United StatesChina
24.03%
United States
33.87%
29% lower
R&D Spending (% GDP)
United StatesChina
2.6% of GDP
United States
3.6% of GDP
29% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
United StatesChina
23.84% of adults
United States
33.74% of adults
29% lower
Water Withdrawal
ChinaChina
568.48 B m³
United States
444.29 B m³
28% higher
Water Stress (%)
ChinaChina
20.21%
United States
15.77%
28% higher
Coastline Length
United StatesChina
14.5K km
United States
19.9K km
27% lower
Forest Area
United StatesChina
2.26M km²
United States
3.10M km²
27% lower
Railway Network
United StatesChina
109.8K km
United States
148.6K km
26% lower
Fertility Rate
United StatesChina
1.2 children/woman
United States
1.6 children/woman
26% lower
Education Spending (% GDP)
United StatesChina
4.0% of GDP
United States
5.4% of GDP
26% lower
Average Weekly Work Hours
ChinaChina
46.1 hrs/week
United States
37.54 hrs/week
23% higher
Road Traffic Death Rate
ChinaChina
17.4 per 100k
United States
14.2 per 100k
23% higher
Protected Land (%)
ChinaChina
15.6%
United States
12.9%
21% higher
Agricultural Land (%)
ChinaChina
55.43%
United States
46.08%
20% higher
Imports (% GDP)
ChinaChina
17.18% of GDP
United States
14.27% of GDP
20% higher
Dependency Ratio
United StatesChina
44.24% of working-age pop.
United States
54.45% of working-age pop.
19% lower
Broadband Access (%)
ChinaChina
45 per 100 people
United States
38 per 100 people
18% higher
Infant Mortality
United StatesChina
4.5 per 1k births
United States
5.5 per 1k births
18% lower
Elderly Population (%)
United StatesChina
14.67%
United States
17.93%
18% lower
Urban Population (%)
United StatesChina
65.89%
United States
80.12%
18% lower
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
ChinaChina
132 per 100 people
United States
113 per 100 people
17% higher
Human Development Index
United StatesChina
0.80
United States
0.94
15% lower
Doctors (per 1,000)
United StatesChina
3.1 per 1k
United States
3.7 per 1k
15% lower
Inequality (Gini)
United StatesChina
36
United States
41.8
14% lower
Hypertension Prevalence
United StatesChina
27.3% of adults
United States
31.8% of adults
14% lower
Firms with Female Top Manager
United StatesChina
19.6% of firms
United States
22.23% of firms
12% lower
Unemployment Rate
ChinaChina
4.6%
United States
4.1%
11% higher
Life Evaluation Score
United StatesChina
6.1 pts
United States
6.8 pts
11% lower
Food Waste per Person
United StatesChina
141.64 kg/person/yr
United States
158.64 kg/person/yr
11% lower
Death Rate
United StatesChina
8.0 per 1k
United States
8.8 per 1k
9% lower
Women in Parliament (%)
United StatesChina
26.54%
United States
28.74%
8% lower
Youth Population (%)
United StatesChina
16.01%
United States
17.32%
8% lower
High-Tech Exports (%)
ChinaChina
26.28%
United States
24.32%
8% higher
Child Mortality
United StatesChina
6.2 per 1k births
United States
6.5 per 1k births
5% lower
Digital Payments Used
United StatesChina
88.72% of adults
United States
92.97% of adults
5% lower
Smoking Rate
United StatesChina
23.4%
United States
24.3%
4% lower
Wind Electricity Share
ChinaChina
10.73%
United States
10.27%
4% higher
University Enrollment Rate
United StatesChina
76.88%
United States
79.36%
3% lower
Median Age
ChinaChina
39.1 years
United States
38.0 years
3% higher
Land Area
ChinaChina
9.39M km²
United States
9.15M km²
3% higher
Sanitation Access (%)
United StatesChina
97.27%
United States
99.62%
2% lower
Internet Users (%)
United StatesChina
92%
United States
93%
1% lower
Life Expectancy
United StatesChina
78.0 years
United States
78.4 years
1% lower
Minimum Paid Vacation Days
ChinaChina
5.0 days/yr
United States
0 days/yr
ranked higher
Electricity Access (%)
ChinaChina
100%
United States
100%
equal
Lowest Elevation
United StatesChina
-154 m
United States
-86 m
ranked lower
Can Raise Emergency Money
ChinaChina
95.1% of adults
United States
94.99% of adults
equal
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)
ChinaChina
3.7% of GDP
United States
-3.6% of GDP
ranked higher
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