The US has the world's largest nominal GDP ($25.5T) and leads in technology, finance, and innovation. China ($17.7T) is the world's largest manufacturer and may surpass the US in total GDP by PPP. The US has 6x higher GDP per capita.
US Economy vs China Economy — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
World's largest economy ($27.4T nominal GDP) led by technology, finance, and consumer spending.
Second-largest nominal GDP with highest PPP adjustment, world's manufacturing hub with 1.4 billion population
Nominal GDP. GDP per Capita. Manufacturing Share. GDP Growth Rate
The US leads in total GDP, per-capita wealth, and innovation. China leads in manufacturing and growth rate. The gap is narrowing.
US Economy: $30+ trillion | China Economy: $17.9
US Economy: $89,500 | China Economy: $13,500
US Economy: Advanced design and manufacturing | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: -0.3 to -1.0% | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $27.4 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
US Economy: $925.8 billion | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $11,109 billion | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: 2.0-2.5% | China Economy: N/A
Government Education Spending Per Capita
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
US Economy: Dominant globally | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $29.4T | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
US Economy: 2.0-2.5% | China Economy: 4.6-4.8%
US Economy: 16.7% | China Economy: 28.3%
US Economy: Minimal (~0-100) | China Economy: $400-800B
US Economy: $25.5 trillion | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
US Economy: Minimal (<$50B) | China Economy: $400-800B reduction
US Economy: Global leader in 5nm+ chips | China Economy: Limited by US export controls
Consumer Stock Market Confidence (Positive Outlook)
Stock Market Sentiment Drop (April 2026)
US Economy: -32 points (61% to 29%) | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: Baseline (S&P 500) | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: Cyclical pressure, modest growth | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: Expected stable | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: Modest rate cuts expected | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: Tariff policy uncertainty | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $27.4 trillion | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $82,400 | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $28.2T | China Economy: $28.7T
US Economy: $76,398 | China Economy: $12,720
US Economy: $285B | China Economy: $163B
US Economy: $76,400 | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $3.48 trillion | China Economy: N/A
US Economy: $285 billion | China Economy: $189 billion
Global Stock Market Capitalization Share
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,800
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $220 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $189 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: Limited by US export controls, advancing in AI adoption
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: -0.5 to -2%
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.5-5.0%
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $296.5 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $620.1 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.5-2.0%
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: Restricted to 7nm+ (export controls)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,700
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $620 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: -0.5 to -2.0%
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: Limited by US export controls
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 4.6-4.8%
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: €296.5 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $13,500
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $5,708.7
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $680 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.2-0.3%
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production Share
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.5-2.0pp
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $17.9 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $400-800B
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $18.7 trillion
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (Annual)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $163.5 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 38.4 years
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 28% (diversified)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $45.78 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: EV manufacturing, 5G, solar, semiconductors
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $16,800 (119,800 yuan)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $11.1 trillion behind
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: ~16-17% of global GDP
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 0.9% CPI
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: Data not available
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $14,800+
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 36% smaller than US
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,420 million
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,500
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $4.8T (Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan weighted total)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 37.4 years (projected 53 by 2050)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.6 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $652 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$631 billion (surplus)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 142 companies
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.8 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $13.2 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $163 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $22.8 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $11.3 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$632 billion (surplus)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,480 GW
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $11,500
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $28.3 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,542,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $35.5 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 687,231
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $15.2 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $6.8 trillion
Tech Sector Market Capitalization (Top 7 Companies)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $2.8 trillion
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2010-2023)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $31.6 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 16% of world GDP
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $696 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $4.2 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 920 million
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,820,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $3.2 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $23,741
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,200,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $38,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $31.7 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,750,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 38.8 years
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 2nd largest exporter (after USA)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 30 million
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $8.1 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$821 billion surplus
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $24 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $1,540 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12.3 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $90 billion
Annual GDP Growth Rate (2020-2026 Average)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,426 million
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 142,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1.59 million
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $369 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $12,720
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $1,230 billion
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows (2024)
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $36.7 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $1.6 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $139 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1.4 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 1,570,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: +$632 billion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: 385,000
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $35.7 trillion
US Economy: N/A | China Economy: $13,100
How to choose between US Economy and China Economy
US Economy vs China Economy — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for US Economy vs China Economy. Contains 274 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
US Economy vs China Economy — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for US Economy vs China Economy.
Is China's economy bigger than the US economy?
It depends on the measure. In nominal GDP, the US ($27.4 trillion) remains larger than China ($17.7 trillion) as of 2023. At purchasing power parity (PPP), China's economy surpassed the US around 2016 and is now the largest in the world by that measure.
When will China's economy overtake the US in nominal GDP?
Projections have been revised significantly. Prior to China's post-pandemic slowdown, many analysts expected China to surpass the US in nominal GDP by the early 2030s. More recent forecasts from Goldman Sachs and others suggest this could be delayed to 2035 or beyond, given demographic headwinds and property sector challenges.
What is the US dollar's role in the global economy?
The US dollar is the world's primary reserve currency, used in approximately 58% of global foreign exchange reserves and roughly 54% of international trade invoicing. This gives the US structural advantages including lower borrowing costs and greater financial sanction leverage.
How does Chinese manufacturing compare to the US?
China produces approximately 30% of global manufacturing output, far exceeding the US. China dominates in electronics, solar panels, EVs, steel, and consumer goods manufacturing. The US has retained leadership in aerospace, semiconductors, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
What is the US trade deficit with China?
The US goods trade deficit with China has fluctuated between $250-350 billion annually in recent years, with some reduction following tariffs introduced in 2018-2019. The US exports more services to China, but goods trade remains heavily imbalanced.
How to Choose Between US Economy and China Economy
Nominal GDP: US Economy has $25.5T, while China Economy has $17.7T.
GDP per Capita: US Economy has $76,300, while China Economy has $12,500.
Manufacturing Share: US Economy has 16%, while China Economy has 30%.
GDP Growth Rate: US Economy has 2.5%, while China Economy has 4.5%.