Land Area
China
9,596,961 km²
Largest
Germany
357,022 km²
3.7% of largest
China is 26.88× larger than Germany
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
Germany
5.9% OF LARGEST
83.2M
PEOPLE
China has 16.98× the population of Germany
GDP
China
LARGEST
$17.96T
Germany
23.7% OF LARGEST
$4.26T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
Germany
9.0% OF LARGEST
183.5K
TROOPS
China has 11.09× the active personnel of Germany
Air Force
China
LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
Germany
18.8% OF LARGEST
617
AIRCRAFT
China has 5.32× the aircraft of Germany
Naval Assets
China
Germany
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Germany
LARGEST
3,351.6
Metric Tonnes
China
68.0% OF LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
Germany
3.0% OF LARGEST
$97B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
China
MOST
473
billionaires
Germany
28% OF MOST
132
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
China
LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Germany
0.4% OF LARGEST
0.1
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
Germany
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.1M b/d
Consumption
2.3M b/d
−2.3M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
Germany
$1,941.4B
Exports
$1,941.4B
Imports
$1,764.4B
Trade Balance
+$177.0B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Germany
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
Germany
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Germany
consumption
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Germany
consumption
China
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Germany
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
Germany
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Germany
335
Gold
331
Silver
331
Bronze
997
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 704
❄ Winter: 293
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
Germany
Age Demographics
Median Age
Germany
47.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Germany is 8.8 years older (median) than China
Youth Population
China has the highest youth population at 36.5% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Germany has the highest elderly population at 31% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
Germany
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
189
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
39.6M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
115
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
9
|
10
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
China
|
Germany
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $12 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $55 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $1,100 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $800 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $180 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $75 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | China | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1412600000 | 83200000 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 357022 |
| Capital | Beijing | Berlin |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | German |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Euro (EUR) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Federal parliamentary republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 183,500 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 30,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 214,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $56,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 266 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 5,318 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 121 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 0 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 38 |
Economy
| Metric | China | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $17,963,200,000,000 | $4,256,500,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $12,720 | $51,160 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.0% | 3.0% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.5 | 31.9 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | Euro (EUR) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| China Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 7.7353 Stronger |
| Germany Currency | 0.1293 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | CNY | EUR |
| 1 USD equals | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 0.8802 EUR Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China is 26.9 times larger in area than Germany.
That's a massive difference!
China has 17.0 times more people than Germany.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
Germany has the highest GDP per capita at $51,160 among the selected countries.
China has the largest economy with a GDP of
$17.96 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
China has the largest air force with 3,285 aircraft.
China has the largest navy with 777 vessels.
China Fact: China produces more than 1.4 billion tons of rice annually, feeding nearly 20% of the world's population.
China vs Germany: Key Comparisons
Economy: China's GDP of $18.0T is 4.2x larger than Germany's $4.3T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 17.0x larger than Germany's 83M.
Area: China covers 9,596,961 km², making it 26.9x larger than Germany.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs Germany's 180Thousand.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while Germany runs a trade surplus of $177B.
Life Expectancy: Germany leads with a life expectancy of 81 years vs China's 77.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology