The US has a larger per-capita GDP ($76,398 vs $12,720) and leads in technological innovation, while China has a larger total GDP ($17.9 trillion vs $27.4 trillion), greater population (1.4 billion vs 340 million), and manufacturing dominance. China's centralized governance enables rapid policy implementation, while the US maintains democratic institutions and rule of law advantages.
United States vs China — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Federal republic with the world's largest economy and military superpower status.
One-party socialist state with world's second-largest economy, dominant manufacturing sector, and 1.4 billion population.
Total GDP (2024). GDP Per Capita (2024). Population. Global Patent Filings (2023). Manufacturing Output Share. World University Rankings (Top 50). Military Spending (2024)
Choose the United States if you prioritize individual freedoms, higher standard of living, technological innovation leadership, and democratic governance—it leads in per-capita wealth, research universities, and military capability. Choose China if you're evaluating total economic scale, manufacturing dominance, population size, and rapid infrastructure development capacity—it excels in absolute GDP, production volume, and patent filing volume. Neither is objectively 'better'; they represent different economic and political models with distinct competitive advantages.
United States of America: $28.7 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion
United States of America: $31.82 trillion | People's Republic of China: $35.0+ trillion
United States of America: 22.73% | People's Republic of China: 14.77%
United States of America: 6.31x higher | People's Republic of China: 1.0x (baseline)
United States of America: Emerging leader, <30% | People's Republic of China: 70%
United States of America: ~15% | People's Republic of China: 35%
Combined Global Economic Share (Nominal)
United States of America: 42.46% (combined US-China) | People's Republic of China: 42.46% (combined US-China)
United States of America: $89,000+ | People's Republic of China: $14,100
United States of America: 23.6% | People's Republic of China: 15.2%
United States of America: 18% | People's Republic of China: 70%
United States of America: ~15% | People's Republic of China: 80%+
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
United States of America: 6% | People's Republic of China: 94%
United States of America: 2.5% | People's Republic of China: 4.7%
United States of America: €10,266.8B | People's Republic of China: $6,240,157.8M
United States of America: €925,796.8M | People's Republic of China: $313.7 billion
United States of America: €3,981 | People's Republic of China: €467
United States of America: 20% | People's Republic of China: 70%
United States of America: $27.6 trillion | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: $821 billion | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 57 | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 6,300 | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: Advanced semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, defense tech | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: $15.29 trillion | People's Republic of China: $45.78 trillion
United States of America: $94,800 | People's Republic of China: $15,000
United States of America: 2.0-2.5% | People's Republic of China: 4.5-4.8%
United States of America: ~18% | People's Republic of China: 35%
United States of America: $30.1 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion
United States of America: 2.0–2.5% | People's Republic of China: 4.6–4.8%
United States of America: <5% | People's Republic of China: 80%+
United States of America: 4.5% | People's Republic of China: ~4.0% (estimated)
United States of America: $76,398 | People's Republic of China: $12,720
United States of America: 16% | People's Republic of China: 28%
United States of America: $2.9T | People's Republic of China: $7.8T
United States of America: $820 billion | People's Republic of China: $296 billion
United States of America: 3.4% | People's Republic of China: 2.1%
United States of America: 743 km | People's Republic of China: 45,000 km
United States of America: 9.8 million km² | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 36 people/sq mi | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: $12,914 per capita | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 4.7 per 100k | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 0.41 | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 1,290 thousand | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 1,770 | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 27 universities | People's Republic of China: 8 universities
United States of America: $384 billion (2023) | People's Republic of China: $189 billion (2023)
United States of America: $27.3 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion
United States of America: 614,000 | People's Republic of China: 1,500,000
United States of America: 707 GW | People's Republic of China: 1,854 GW
United States of America: 4.7 physicians | People's Republic of China: 2.1 physicians
United States of America: $27.36 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.99 trillion
United States of America: $820 billion | People's Republic of China: $292 billion
United States of America: 371.8 | People's Republic of China: 1,200
United States of America: $27.3 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.8 trillion
United States of America: $27.4 trillion | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 6.3 | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: $11,945 | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 2.1 billion | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 79.3 million | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 735 km | People's Republic of China: 45,000 km
United States of America: 61% | People's Republic of China: 22%
United States of America: 335 million | People's Republic of China: 1,426 million
United States of America: 78.4 years | People's Republic of China: 77.9 years
United States of America: 5.0 billion | People's Republic of China: 12.3 billion
United States of America: $2.1 trillion | People's Republic of China: $4.7 trillion
United States of America: 312 million | People's Republic of China: 1,050 million
United States of America: $28.5T | People's Republic of China: $23.8T
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2024-2026)
United States of America: 2.25% | People's Republic of China: 4.75%
United States of America: $84,000 | People's Republic of China: $17,000
United States of America: 206M | People's Republic of China: 920M
United States of America: 1st | People's Republic of China: 2nd
United States of America: AI, semiconductors, cloud computing | People's Republic of China: 5G, renewables, EVs
United States of America: 82% | People's Republic of China: 63%
United States of America: $27.4 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion
United States of America: 814,340 | People's Republic of China: 1,570,000
United States of America: 8.5% | People's Republic of China: 12.3%
United States of America: 16% of global | People's Republic of China: 28% of global
United States of America: $27.4 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.8 trillion
United States of America: 635,000 | People's Republic of China: 1,700,000
United States of America: 2.1% | People's Republic of China: 4.2%
United States of America: 26.3% | People's Republic of China: 16.4%
United States of America: $285 billion | People's Republic of China: $163 billion
United States of America: 59% | People's Republic of China: 2.7%
United States of America: 128% | People's Republic of China: 77%
United States of America: 78.9 years | People's Republic of China: 78.2
United States of America: 99.0% | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 4.1% | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: $74,580 | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: $820B | People's Republic of China: $296B
United States of America: 635,000 | People's Republic of China: 1,500,000
United States of America: 91% | People's Republic of China: 76%
United States of America: $0.13 trillion | People's Republic of China: $3.27 trillion
United States of America: $27.4T | People's Republic of China: $17.8T
United States of America: 335 million | People's Republic of China: 1,430M
United States of America: 0.921 | People's Republic of China: 0.796
United States of America: 605,000 | People's Republic of China: 738,000
United States of America: $848 billion | People's Republic of China: $612 billion
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: 4.8%
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: 38.4 years
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: €469
JPMorgan Growth Leadership Outlook (2026)
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: Secondary
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: $18.74T
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: 5.0-5.3%
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: 32.94%
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: €299,621.7M
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: $620,062.8M
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: €11,242
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: 392 robots per 10k workers
United States of America: N/A | People's Republic of China: 60%
How to choose between United States of America and People's Republic of China
Compare United States of America vs People's Republic of China
United States vs China — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for United States vs China. Contains 116 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
United States vs China — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for United States vs China.
The US has a stronger per-capita economy ($76,398 per person vs $12,720), indicating higher individual wealth and living standards. However, China's total GDP ($17.9T vs $27.4T) is second globally, and it leads in absolute manufacturing output (29% global share). The US economy is more service and innovation-driven, while China's is manufacturing-dominant.
China filed 1.57 million patents in 2023 (highest globally), dominating battery, solar, and EV technology sectors. However, the US leads in transformative technologies: 8 of top 10 AI companies are US-based (OpenAI, Google, Meta), and 27 US universities rank in global top 50 vs China's 8. Innovation quality differs by sector.
Which country has better living standards?
The US has significantly higher living standards measured by per-capita GDP ($76,398), life expectancy (76.4 years vs 77.9 years—nearly tied), and median household income ($74,580 vs estimated $11,500). Healthcare and education quality correlate with US ranking, though cost burdens differ between systems.
Which country is more dependent on trade?
China is more trade-dependent, with exports representing 18.6% of GDP versus 8.7% for the US. China's manufacturing model relies heavily on global supply chains and exports. The US economy is 70% domestically consumption-driven, making it less vulnerable to external trade shocks.
What are the key geopolitical differences?
The US operates as a federal democratic republic with separation of powers, independent courts, and press freedom (ranked 55th globally by RSF). China operates as a one-party authoritarian state with centralized decision-making and restricted media (ranked 193rd). This affects business predictability, governance transparency, and individual freedoms fundamentally.
How to Choose Between United States of America and People's Republic of China
Total GDP (2024): United States of America has $27.4 trillion USD, while People's Republic of China has $17.9 trillion USD.
GDP Per Capita (2024): United States of America has $76,398 USD, while People's Republic of China has $12,720 USD.
Population: United States of America has 340 million, while People's Republic of China has 1.4 billion.
Global Patent Filings (2023): United States of America has 665,263 patents, while People's Republic of China has 1,574,205 patents.
Manufacturing Output Share: United States of America has 16% of global output, while People's Republic of China has 29% of global output.
Consider: World University Rankings (Top 50)
World University Rankings (Top 50): United States of America has 27 universities, while People's Republic of China has 8 universities.
Military Spending (2024): United States of America has $880 billion USD, while People's Republic of China has $296 billion USD.