The U.S. is a developed democracy with a $27.4 trillion economy and global military dominance, while China is a one-party communist state with a $17.9 trillion economy and the world's largest population at 1.4 billion. The U.S. leads in per-capita GDP ($83,000 vs $12,700), technology innovation, and institutional stability, while China excels in manufacturing capacity, infrastructure investment, and resource reserves.
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.
GDP (Nominal). GDP Per Capita. Population. Government System. Military Expenditure. Life Expectancy. CO2 Emissions (Annual)
The United States remains the world's largest economy with superior per-capita wealth, military capabilities, and institutional transparency, making it dominant in finance, technology, and global influence. China possesses unmatched manufacturing scale, population advantage, and infrastructure investment capacity, positioning it as a rising economic superpower. Choose the U.S. for developed-nation stability, innovation leadership, and democratic governance; choose China for manufacturing scale, growth potential, and resource access.
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.
Which country has a stronger economy overall?
The United States has the world's largest nominal GDP at $27.4 trillion versus China's $17.9 trillion (2024), representing a 53% advantage. However, China's purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP of $33.7 trillion exceeds the U.S. when adjusted for price differences. The U.S. maintains advantage in high-value sectors like technology, finance, and services, while China dominates manufacturing and construction.
Who produces more goods and what are the major differences?
China produces 28% of global manufacturing output compared to the U.S. at 17%. China specializes in consumer electronics, textiles, machinery, and chemicals. The U.S. leads in high-technology products, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and agricultural goods. China supplies 97% of global rare earth elements while the U.S. depends on imports for critical minerals essential to advanced technology.
What are the key governance differences?
The U.S. is a federal constitutional democracy with separation of powers, regular competitive elections, and constitutional protections for civil liberties. China is a single-party communist state with the Communist Party holding ultimate authority, limited political freedoms, and centralized economic planning. The U.S. ranks 31st in press freedom globally; China ranks 193rd (lowest).
The U.S. spends $820 billion annually on defense (2024) versus China's $296 billion. The U.S. operates 11 active aircraft carriers with global deployment capability; China has 3. The U.S. maintains technological superiority in advanced weaponry, cybersecurity, and intelligence systems. China leads in hypersonic missile development and has the world's largest standing army (2.3 million active personnel).
What are the environmental challenges for each nation?
China emits 12.1 billion metric tons of CO2 annually (24% of global total) due to coal-dependent energy and manufacturing scale, though it leads in renewable installation capacity. The U.S. emits 5.0 billion metric tons (10% of global) but maintains higher per-capita consumption. China faces severe air and water pollution in industrial regions; the U.S. has stricter environmental regulations but higher per-capita resource consumption.
How to Choose Between United States of America and People's Republic of China
GDP (Nominal): United States of America has $27.4 trillion (2024), while People's Republic of China has $17.9 trillion (2024).
GDP Per Capita: United States of America has $83,000, while People's Republic of China has $12,700.
Population: United States of America has 339 million, while People's Republic of China has 1.4 billion.
Government System: United States of America has Federal Democratic Republic, while People's Republic of China has One-Party Communist State.
Military Expenditure: United States of America has $820 billion (2024), while People's Republic of China has $296 billion (2024).
Life Expectancy: United States of America has 78.9 years, while People's Republic of China has 78.2 years.
CO2 Emissions (Annual): United States of America has 5.0 billion metric tons, while People's Republic of China has 12.1 billion metric tons.