China vs United States - Nominal GDP 2026
The United States maintains the world's largest nominal GDP at approximately $28.7 trillion in 2026, while China's nominal GDP is approximately $17.9 trillion, making the US economy roughly 60% larger in dollar terms despite China's higher purchasing power parity GDP.
China vs United States - Nominal GDP 2026 — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
World's largest nominal GDP economy with advanced service sector and technological innovation
World's second-largest nominal economy with dominant manufacturing and rapid growth trajectory
Nominal GDP 2026. GDP Per Capita. Economic Growth Rate (2024-2026 avg). Purchasing Power Parity GDP 2026. Global Trade Exports. Manufacturing Output Share. Reserve Currency Status
The United States leads in nominal GDP, per capita wealth, and global financial influence through dollar dominance, making it the world's largest economy by traditional metrics. China leads in growth rate, manufacturing capacity, and PPP-adjusted metrics, reflecting its role as the world's factory and emerging economic superpower. Choose the US metric for understanding global capital flows and financial markets; choose China metrics for manufacturing capacity and long-term growth trajectory.
United States Economy 2026: ~2.5% | China Economy 2026: 4.6-4.8%
United States Economy 2026: ~20% | China Economy 2026: 70%
United States Economy 2026: 18% | China Economy 2026: 35%
United States Economy 2026: Global leader in chip design and production | China Economy 2026: 14-28nm (constrained by controls)
United States Economy 2026: Minimal direct exposure | China Economy 2026: -0.5 to -2.0pp reduction
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
United States Economy 2026: 10-15% | China Economy 2026: 94%
United States Economy 2026: 2.5% | China Economy 2026: 4.8%
United States Economy 2026: 20-25% | China Economy 2026: 70%
United States Economy 2026: 12% | China Economy 2026: 82%
United States Economy 2026: Design & manufacturing leader with export controls | China Economy 2026: Limited by US chip export restrictions
United States Economy 2026: 0.3-0.8% | China Economy 2026: 0.5-2.0%
United States Economy 2026: $28.2 trillion | China Economy 2026: $35.7 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $85,000 | China Economy 2026: $12,700
United States Economy 2026: 10% | China Economy 2026: 80%
United States Economy 2026: Global leader in chip design and AI | China Economy 2026: Advancing with limitations from export controls
United States Economy 2026: $89,000+ | China Economy 2026: ~$14,100
United States Economy 2026: $4,175,432 million (2024) | China Economy 2026: $620,063 million (2023)
United States Economy 2026: €925,796.8 million (2024) | China Economy 2026: €296,532.1 million (2024)
United States Economy 2026: €1,330,677.4 million (2022) | China Economy 2026: €658,315.8 million (2023)
United States Economy 2026: Combined 42.46% (largest share) | China Economy 2026: Combined 42.46% (second largest)
United States Economy 2026: €10,266,750.8 million (2024) | China Economy 2026: $5,708.7 billion
United States Economy 2026: 2.0-2.5% | China Economy 2026: 4.5-5.0%
United States Economy 2026: Minimal (0-0.5%) | China Economy 2026: 0.5-2.0%
United States Economy 2026: $31.82 trillion | China Economy 2026: $20.65 trillion
United States Economy 2026: ~$35 trillion estimated | China Economy 2026: $45.78 trillion
United States Economy 2026: 1st | China Economy 2026: 2nd
United States Economy 2026: ~2.5-3% | China Economy 2026: 4.5-5%
United States Economy 2026: Services, Technology, Finance (79% services sector) | China Economy 2026: Manufacturing, Exports, Industrial (45% industry sector)
United States Economy 2026: Leader by $11.17 trillion | China Economy 2026: Behind by $11.17 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $10,267 | China Economy 2026: $5,709
United States Economy 2026: $925.8 | China Economy 2026: $296.5
United States Economy 2026: 337 million | China Economy 2026: 1,420 million
United States Economy 2026: 24.8% | China Economy 2026: 16.1%
United States Economy 2026: +$11.1 trillion | China Economy 2026: Baseline
United States Economy 2026: Innovation, Finance, Services | China Economy 2026: Manufacturing, Infrastructure
United States Economy 2026: Sustainable growth, AI integration | China Economy 2026: AI, Semiconductors, Clean Tech, Self-reliance
United States Economy 2026: 1.54x larger | China Economy 2026: Baseline
United States Economy 2026: $84,600 | China Economy 2026: $12,720
United States Economy 2026: 3.9% | China Economy 2026: 4.1%
United States Economy 2026: 172% | China Economy 2026: 283%
United States Economy 2026: 16% | China Economy 2026: 28%
United States Economy 2026: $0.13T | China Economy 2026: $3.5T
United States Economy 2026: $2.1 trillion | China Economy 2026: $3.6 trillion
United States Economy 2026: 123% | China Economy 2026: 77%
United States Economy 2026: $28.7 trillion | China Economy 2026: $27.4 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $847 billion | China Economy 2026: $1,700 billion
United States Economy 2026: 4.1% | China Economy 2026: 5.3%
United States Economy 2026: 130% | China Economy 2026: 77%
United States Economy 2026: $48 trillion | China Economy 2026: $12 trillion
United States Economy 2026: 25.8% | China Economy 2026: 15.9%
United States Economy 2026: 165 million | China Economy 2026: 771 million
United States Economy 2026: 11.2% | China Economy 2026: 28.5%
United States Economy 2026: $28.7 trillion | China Economy 2026: $17.9 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $390 billion | China Economy 2026: $163 billion
Global Semiconductor Production Value Share
United States Economy 2026: 52% | China Economy 2026: 28%
United States Economy 2026: 2.7% | China Economy 2026: 4.5%
United States Economy 2026: $85,200 | China Economy 2026: $12,700
United States Economy 2026: 4.2% | China Economy 2026: 5.1%
United States Economy 2026: $0.13 trillion | China Economy 2026: $3.2 trillion
United States Economy 2026: +0.6% | China Economy 2026: -0.8%
United States Economy 2026: $27.4 trillion | China Economy 2026: $17.9 trillion
United States Economy 2026: 2.1% | China Economy 2026: 4.8%
United States Economy 2026: $74,580 | China Economy 2026: $8,400
United States Economy 2026: 2.1% | China Economy 2026: 5.0%
United States Economy 2026: $27.4 trillion | China Economy 2026: $28.9 trillion
United States Economy 2026: 2.1% | China Economy 2026: 4.2%
United States Economy 2026: 420,000 patents | China Economy 2026: 285,000 patents
United States Economy 2026: $130 billion | China Economy 2026: $3,200 billion
United States Economy 2026: 16.4% | China Economy 2026: 32.1%
United States Economy 2026: $12.8 trillion | China Economy 2026: $4.2 trillion
Annual Foreign Direct Investment Inflows
United States Economy 2026: $302 billion | China Economy 2026: $189 billion
United States Economy 2026: 113% | China Economy 2026: 77%
United States Economy 2026: +0.3% | China Economy 2026: -0.76%
United States Economy 2026: $2.1 trillion | China Economy 2026: $4.8 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $3.2 trillion | China Economy 2026: $2.1 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $420 billion | China Economy 2026: $163 billion
United States Economy 2026: -0.3% annually | China Economy 2026: -1.1% annually
United States Economy 2026: 32.8% | China Economy 2026: 31.2%
United States Economy 2026: $28.9 trillion | China Economy 2026: $17.9 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $85,400 | China Economy 2026: $12,700
United States Economy 2026: 2.1% | China Economy 2026: 4.5%
United States Economy 2026: 2.3% | China Economy 2026: 2.8%
United States Economy 2026: 122% | China Economy 2026: 77%
United States Economy 2026: 7 companies | China Economy 2026: 2 companies
United States Economy 2026: 1.8% | China Economy 2026: 3.2%
United States Economy 2026: $285 billion | China Economy 2026: $163 billion
United States Economy 2026: 8.1% | China Economy 2026: 12.4%
United States Economy 2026: $28.0 trillion | China Economy 2026: $32.1 trillion
United States Economy 2026: $85,900 | China Economy 2026: $12,700
United States Economy 2026: 2.5% | China Economy 2026: 5.2%
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: 94%
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: $400-800B (high)
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: $296.5 billion
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: $620.1 billion
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: €467
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: Completing megaprojects in 2026
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: Rapid growth, assuming GDP leadership
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: 4.6-4.8%
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: 70%
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: 4.2%
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: -0.5 to -2.0%
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: $33.1 trillion
United States Economy 2026: N/A | China Economy 2026: 300%+
How to choose between United States Economy 2026 and China Economy 2026
Compare United States Economy 2026 vs China Economy 2026
China vs United States - Nominal GDP 2026 — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for China vs United States - Nominal GDP 2026. Contains 122 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
China vs United States - Nominal GDP 2026 — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for China vs United States - Nominal GDP 2026.
Why is the US nominal GDP higher than China's but China's PPP GDP is higher?
Nominal GDP measures economic output in current USD exchange rates, where the dollar is strong. China's PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) GDP adjusts for cost of living differences, making China's $32.1 trillion PPP GDP exceed the US $28.0 trillion PPP GDP. This reflects that Chinese money goes further domestically due to lower labor and material costs, though nominal currency conversion shows the US as larger.
Is China's economy catching up to the US?
On nominal GDP terms, China's gap has narrowed from 48% smaller in 2015 to 37% smaller in 2026. However, China's growth rate (5.2%) vs US rate (2.5%) means China gains $1.3 trillion annually while US gains $718 billion. At current trajectories, China would match US nominal GDP by approximately 2045-2050 if growth rates stabilize, though geopolitical factors and debt levels complicate predictions.
Which economy is more important to the global financial system?
The US economy dominates global finance through USD reserve currency status (used in 88% of forex transactions and 60% of global reserves), deeper capital markets ($110 trillion in stocks vs China's $12 trillion), and stronger institutional frameworks. China is critical for manufacturing and physical supply chains but has limited currency internationalization with RMB at only 2.7% of global reserves.
How do debt levels compare between the two economies?
The US has total debt (government + corporate + household) of approximately $96 trillion (334% of GDP), while China's total debt is approximately $61 trillion (341% of GDP). Both have concerning debt ratios, but the US has lower-cost borrowing due to dollar dominance and stronger institutional credibility, while China faces constraints from capital controls and slower-moving financial market pricing.
What are the fastest-growing sectors in each economy?
In the US, the fastest-growing sectors are artificial intelligence/software (15.3% CAGR), renewable energy (12.8% CAGR), and biotechnology (11.2% CAGR). In China, the fastest-growing sectors are electric vehicles (22.1% CAGR), renewable energy (18.9% CAGR), and semiconductors (17.4% CAGR), reflecting different economic strategies and market positions.
How to Choose Between United States Economy 2026 and China Economy 2026
Nominal GDP 2026: United States Economy 2026 has $28.7 trillion, while China Economy 2026 has $17.9 trillion.
GDP Per Capita: United States Economy 2026 has $85,900, while China Economy 2026 has $12,700.
Consider: Economic Growth Rate (2024-2026 avg)
Economic Growth Rate (2024-2026 avg): United States Economy 2026 has 2.5%, while China Economy 2026 has 5.2%.
Consider: Purchasing Power Parity GDP 2026
Purchasing Power Parity GDP 2026: United States Economy 2026 has $28.0 trillion, while China Economy 2026 has $32.1 trillion.
Global Trade Exports: United States Economy 2026 has $2.1 trillion, while China Economy 2026 has $3.6 trillion.
Manufacturing Output Share: United States Economy 2026 has 16%, while China Economy 2026 has 28%.
Reserve Currency Status: United States Economy 2026 has Primary (USD), while China Economy 2026 has Emerging (RMB).