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
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.
Compare United States of America vs People's Republic of China
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.
United States vs China — Comparison Data
Structured comparison data for United States vs China with 132 attributes.
Combined Global Economic Share (Nominal)
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Production
Average Annual GDP Growth Rate (2024-2026)
JPMorgan Growth Leadership Outlook (2026)
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.