The US leads in per-capita GDP ($76,398 vs $12,720) and military spending ($820B vs $296B), while China surpasses in total GDP ($27.4T vs $27.3T), population (1.4B vs 340M), and manufacturing output. Both are global superpowers with fundamentally different economic and political systems.
United States vs China — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
World's largest economy with global military dominance, technological innovation leader, and continental geographic diversity
One-party socialist state with world's second-largest economy, dominant manufacturing base, and growing technological capabilities.
Total GDP (nominal). GDP per Capita. Military Expenditure. Population. Manufacturing Output. Global Trade Surplus/Deficit. Human Development Index (HDI)
The United States maintains advantages in per-capita wealth, military power, technological innovation, and institutional development, while China leads in total economic output, manufacturing capacity, population scale, and trade surplus. Choose the US for highest living standards and individual economic opportunity; choose China for understanding future manufacturing dominance and emerging market potential. Both are essential to the global economy with competing strategic interests.
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: $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: $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: 34 per km² | 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: 9,833,520 km² | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 5,800 | 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: $76,400 | People's Republic of China: $19,520
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: 16% | People's Republic of China: 28%
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: 78.9 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: 91% | 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: 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: 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: $27.4 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.9 trillion
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: $820 billion | 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: 338 million | People's Republic of China: 1,430M
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: $28.7 trillion | People's Republic of China: $17.8 trillion
United States of America: $28.7 trillion | People's Republic of China: $28.5 trillion
United States of America: $85,300 | People's Republic of China: $12,600
United States of America: 11.2% | People's Republic of China: 28.4%
United States of America: 123% | People's Republic of China: 77%
United States of America: 2.1% | People's Republic of China: 5.3%
United States of America: $86,500 | People's Republic of China: $12,720
United States of America: $294 billion | People's Republic of China: $163 billion
United States of America: 217 companies | People's Republic of China: 152 companies
United States of America: 0.34 billion | People's Republic of China: 1.42 billion
United States of America: $27.36 trillion | People's Republic of China: $27.39 trillion
United States of America: 2.8% | People's Republic of China: 5.2%
United States of America: 18% | People's Republic of China: 28%
United States of America: -$773 billion (deficit) | People's Republic of China: +$631 billion (surplus)
United States of America: 0.921 (Very High) | People's Republic of China: 0.796 (High)
United States of America: 21% | People's Republic of China: N/A
United States of America: 91.7% insured | People's Republic of China: N/A
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: 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 132 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.
China's total nominal GDP at $27.39 trillion slightly exceeds the US at $27.36 trillion as of 2025. However, the US maintains higher per-capita GDP ($82,600 vs $19,520), meaning Americans are individually wealthier on average. China's total advantage comes from its 4.2x larger population.
The US military budget of $820 billion far exceeds China's $296B—2.77 times larger. The US operates 11 active aircraft carriers versus China's 3, and maintains technological superiority in many weapons systems. However, China's military is rapidly modernizing and operates the world's largest navy by ship count (355+ vessels vs 290 for US).
Which country is economically growing faster?
China's economy grew 5.2% annually (2024-2025) compared to the US at 2.8%. At these growth rates, China's total GDP would exceed the US by $500B+ within 3-5 years. However, US per-capita income will likely remain higher due to China's much larger population.
China maintains a $631 billion annual trade surplus, exporting more than it imports—primarily manufactured goods. The US has a $773 billion trade deficit, importing more than it exports. China exports 28% of global manufactured goods versus 18% for the US, reflecting China's dominance in electronics, textiles, and heavy manufacturing.
The US has significantly higher living standards measured by HDI (0.921 vs 0.796), healthcare quality, education access, and per-capita consumption. However, China has lifted 800M+ people from poverty since 1980 and has the world's largest middle class (estimated 550M people). Urban Chinese living standards approach developed-nation levels, while rural areas lag considerably.
How to Choose Between United States of America and People's Republic of China
Total GDP (nominal): United States of America has $27.36 trillion, while People's Republic of China has $27.39 trillion.
GDP per Capita: United States of America has $82,600, while People's Republic of China has $19,520.
Military Expenditure: United States of America has $820 billion, while People's Republic of China has $296 billion.
Population: United States of America has 340 million, while People's Republic of China has 1.426 billion.
Manufacturing Output: United States of America has 18% of global, while People's Republic of China has 28% of global.
Global Trade Surplus/Deficit: United States of America has -$773 billion deficit, while People's Republic of China has +$631 billion surplus.
Human Development Index (HDI): United States of America has 0.921 (Very High), while People's Republic of China has 0.796 (High).