China is the world's most populous nation (1.4 billion) with the second-largest economy ($17.9 trillion GDP), while the United States has the world's largest economy ($27.4 trillion GDP) and leads in per-capita income ($76,398 vs $12,556). The U.S. maintains technological and military superiority, while China leads in manufacturing output and infrastructure investment.
China vs United States — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
One-party socialist state with world's second-largest economy, dominant manufacturing sector, and 1.4 billion population.
Federal republic with the world's largest economy and military superpower status.
GDP (Nominal). Population. GDP Per Capita. Manufacturing Output (% of global). High-Speed Rail Network. Military Spending. Life Expectancy
The United States leads in per-capita wealth, military power, and technological innovation, making it superior for individuals seeking the highest standard of living and most advanced economy. China excels in manufacturing scale, infrastructure development, and population size, positioning it as a global manufacturing and infrastructure leader. Choose the U.S. for individual opportunity and innovation; choose China for understanding global manufacturing and the world's most populous market.
People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion | United States of America: $28.7 trillion
People's Republic of China: $35.0+ trillion | United States of America: $31.82 trillion
People's Republic of China: 4.7% | United States of America: 2.5%
People's Republic of China: 14.77% | United States of America: 22.73%
People's Republic of China: 1.0x (baseline) | United States of America: 6.31x higher
People's Republic of China: 70% | United States of America: Emerging leader, <30%
People's Republic of China: 35% | United States of America: ~15%
Combined Global Economic Share (Nominal)
People's Republic of China: 42.46% (combined US-China) | United States of America: 42.46% (combined US-China)
People's Republic of China: $14,100 | United States of America: $89,000+
People's Republic of China: 15.2% | United States of America: 23.6%
People's Republic of China: 70% | United States of America: 18%
People's Republic of China: 80%+ | United States of America: ~15%
People's Republic of China: €467 | United States of America: €3,981
People's Republic of China: 70% | United States of America: 20%
People's Republic of China: 94% | United States of America: 6%
People's Republic of China: $45.78 trillion | United States of America: $15.29 trillion
People's Republic of China: $15,000 | United States of America: $94,800
People's Republic of China: 4.5-4.8% | United States of America: 2.0-2.5%
People's Republic of China: 35% | United States of America: ~18%
People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion | United States of America: $30.1 trillion
People's Republic of China: 4.6–4.8% | United States of America: 2.0–2.5%
People's Republic of China: 80%+ | United States of America: <5%
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
People's Republic of China: ~4.0% (estimated) | United States of America: 4.5%
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: $313.7 billion | United States of America: €925,796.8M
People's Republic of China: €469 | United States of America: N/A
JPMorgan Growth Leadership Outlook (2026)
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: $6,240,157.8M | United States of America: €10,266.8B
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: $17.99 trillion | United States of America: $27.36 trillion
People's Republic of China: $12,720 | United States of America: $76,398
People's Republic of China: 28% | United States of America: 16%
People's Republic of China: $7.8T | United States of America: $2.9T
People's Republic of China: $296 billion | United States of America: $820 billion
People's Republic of China: 2.1% | United States of America: 3.4%
People's Republic of China: 45,000 km | United States of America: 743 km
People's Republic of China: 1,500,000 | United States of America: 635,000
People's Republic of China: 8 universities | United States of America: 27 universities
People's Republic of China: $189 billion (2023) | United States of America: $384 billion (2023)
People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion | United States of America: $27.3 trillion
People's Republic of China: 77.9 years | United States of America: 78.4 years
People's Republic of China: 1,500,000 | United States of America: 614,000
People's Republic of China: 1,854 GW | United States of America: 707 GW
People's Republic of China: 2.1 physicians | United States of America: 4.7 physicians
People's Republic of China: $292 billion | United States of America: $820 billion
People's Republic of China: 1,200 | United States of America: 371.8
People's Republic of China: $17.8 trillion | United States of America: $27.3 trillion
People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion | United States of America: $27.4 trillion
People's Republic of China: 1,426 million | United States of America: 335 million
People's Republic of China: 45,000 km | United States of America: 735 km
People's Republic of China: 22% | United States of America: 61%
People's Republic of China: 12.3 billion | United States of America: 5.0 billion
People's Republic of China: $4.7 trillion | United States of America: $2.1 trillion
People's Republic of China: 1,050 million | United States of America: 312 million
People's Republic of China: 2nd | United States of America: 1st
People's Republic of China: $23.8T | United States of America: $28.5T
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2024-2026)
People's Republic of China: 4.75% | United States of America: 2.25%
People's Republic of China: $17,000 | United States of America: $84,000
People's Republic of China: 920M | United States of America: 206M
People's Republic of China: 5G, renewables, EVs | United States of America: AI, semiconductors, cloud computing
People's Republic of China: 63% | United States of America: 82%
People's Republic of China: 1,570,000 | United States of America: 814,340
People's Republic of China: 12.3% | United States of America: 8.5%
People's Republic of China: 28% of global | United States of America: 16% of global
People's Republic of China: $17.8 trillion | United States of America: $27.4 trillion
People's Republic of China: $3.27 trillion | United States of America: $0.13 trillion
People's Republic of China: 1,700,000 | United States of America: 635,000
People's Republic of China: 4.2% | United States of America: 2.1%
People's Republic of China: 16.4% | United States of America: 26.3%
People's Republic of China: $163 billion | United States of America: $285 billion
People's Republic of China: 2.7% | United States of America: 59%
People's Republic of China: 77% | United States of America: 128%
People's Republic of China: $296B | United States of America: $820B
People's Republic of China: 76% | United States of America: 91%
People's Republic of China: $17.8T | United States of America: $27.4T
People's Republic of China: 1,430M | United States of America: 335 million
People's Republic of China: 0.796 | United States of America: 0.921
People's Republic of China: 78.2 | United States of America: 78.9 years
People's Republic of China: $612 billion | United States of America: $848 billion
People's Republic of China: 392 robots per 10k workers | United States of America: N/A
People's Republic of China: 60% | United States of America: N/A
People's Republic of China: 738,000 | United States of America: 605,000
People's Republic of China: N/A | 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: 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: $27.4 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: 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
How to choose between People's Republic of China and United States of America
Compare People's Republic of China vs United States of America
China vs United States — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for China vs United States. Contains 116 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
China vs United States — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for China vs United States.
The United States has the larger nominal GDP at $27.4 trillion vs China's $17.9 trillion (2024). However, China has been the faster-growing economy historically. On a per-capita basis, the U.S. is dramatically wealthier at $76,398 vs $12,556 per person, indicating much higher individual prosperity.
The United States dominates with 61% of global AI funding, 8 of the world's top 10 technology companies by market cap (Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Tesla, Nvidia, Meta, Broadcom), and 50% of global venture capital. China leads in specific areas like renewable energy manufacturing and 5G deployment but remains behind in foundational AI research.
Which country has superior infrastructure?
China leads dramatically in high-speed rail with 45,000 km of networks vs the U.S.'s 735 km. However, the U.S. infrastructure is ranked 13th globally while China is 26th according to the World Economic Forum. The U.S. excels in road networks and airports, while China focuses on rail and urban transit systems.
The United States maintains clear military superiority with $843 billion in military spending (2.8x China's $296 billion), 11 aircraft carrier groups, advanced nuclear capabilities, and global military bases. China has the world's largest navy by ship count but lacks comparable global reach and technological sophistication in defense systems.
The United States offers higher individual quality of life with 6x higher per-capita income, better healthcare access (though more expensive), superior higher education, and stronger legal protections. China offers better public transportation and lower living costs in major cities but faces air pollution challenges and more limited personal freedoms.
How to Choose Between People's Republic of China and United States of America
GDP (Nominal): People's Republic of China has $17.9 trillion, while United States of America has $27.4 trillion.
Population: People's Republic of China has 1.42 billion, while United States of America has 340 million.
GDP Per Capita: People's Republic of China has $12,556, while United States of America has $76,398.
Consider: Manufacturing Output (% of global)
Manufacturing Output (% of global): People's Republic of China has 28%, while United States of America has 16%.
High-Speed Rail Network: People's Republic of China has 45,000 km, while United States of America has 735 km.
Military Spending: People's Republic of China has $296 billion, while United States of America has $843 billion.
Life Expectancy: People's Republic of China has 77.9 years, while United States of America has 78.9 years.