Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in China 1985-2026

The graph shows per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in China until 2019, with forecasts until 2026. In 2019, per capita GDP ranged at around 10,243 U.S. dollars in China. That year, the overall GDP of China had amounted to 14.34 trillion U.S. dollars.

Per capita GDP in China

Gross domestic product is a commonly-used economic indicator for measuring the state of a country's economy. GDP is the total market value of goods and services produced in a country within a given period of time, usually a year. Per capita GDP is defined as the GDP divided by the total number of people in the country. This indicator is generally used to compare the economic prosperity of countries with varying population sizes.

In 2010, China overtook Japan and became the world’s second-largest economy. As of 2019, it was the largest exporter and the second largest importer in the world. However, one reason behind its economic strength lies within its population size. China has to distribute its wealth among 1.4 billion people. By 2019, China's per capita GDP was only about one fourth as large as that of main industrialized countries. When compared to other emerging markets, China ranked second among BRIC countries in terms of GDP per capita.

Future development

According to projections by the IMF, per capita GDP in China will escalate from around 10,243 U.S. dollars in 2019 to 17,003 U.S. dollars in 2026. Possible reasons for this are the soaring economy and low population growth. China's economic structure is also undergoing changes. A major trend lies in the shift from an industry-based to a service-based economy.