Land Area
United States of America
9,833,517 km²
Largest
China
9,596,961 km²
97.6% of largest
United States of America is 1.02× larger than China
Population
China
LARGEST
1.41B
PEOPLE
United States of America
23.7% OF LARGEST
335M
PEOPLE
China has 4.22× the population of United States of America
GDP
United States of America
LARGEST
$27.36T
China
65.7% OF LARGEST
$17.96T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
China
LARGEST
2.04M
TROOPS
United States of America
66.2% OF LARGEST
1.35M
TROOPS
China has 1.51× the active personnel of United States of America
Air Force
United States of America
LARGEST
13.3K
AIRCRAFT
China
24.7% OF LARGEST
3.29K
AIRCRAFT
United States of America has 4.05× the aircraft of China
Naval Assets
China
United States of America
Wealth
Gold Reserves
United States of America
LARGEST
8,133.5
Metric Tonnes
China
28.0% OF LARGEST
2,279.6
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
China
LARGEST
$3.27T
Reserves · excl. gold
United States of America
7.0% OF LARGEST
$228B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
United States of America
MOST
813
billionaires
China
58% OF MOST
473
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
United States of America
LARGEST
69
Billion barrels
China
37.8% OF LARGEST
26
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
China
NET IMPORTER
Production
4.1M b/d
Consumption
15.4M b/d
−11.3M b/d net
United States of America
NET EXPORTER
Production
20.0M b/d
Consumption
19.0M b/d
+1.0M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
China
$3,753.1B
Exports
$3,753.1B
Imports
$3,219.3B
Trade Balance
+$533.7B
Trade Surplus
United States of America
$3,193.5B
Exports
$3,193.5B
Imports
$4,103.1B
Trade Balance
$-909.6B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
United States of America
consumption
China
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
China
consumption
United States of America
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
United States of America
consumption
China
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
United States of America
consumption
China
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
United States of America
consumption
China
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
China
United States of America
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
United States of America
1,233
Gold
1,013
Silver
889
Bronze
3,135
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 2,772
❄ Winter: 363
China
330
Gold
262
Silver
227
Bronze
819
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 727
❄ Winter: 92
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
China
United States of America
Age Demographics
Median Age
China
39.0
YEARS
10
30
50
70
United States of America
38.8
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
China is 0.2 years older (median) than United States of America
Youth Population
United States of America has the highest youth population at 38.4% (under 30)
Elderly Population
United States of America has the highest elderly population at 21.6% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
China
|
United States of America
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
85
|
186
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
65.7M
|
66.5M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
8
|
411
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
9
|
13
|
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
|
United States of America
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $5 | $20.0 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $25 | $80.0 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $600 | $1,950.0 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $380 | $1,500.0 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $50 | $175.0 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $20 | $68.0 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $30 | $85.0 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | China | United States of America |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1412600000 | 335000000 |
| Area (sq km) | 9596961 | 9833517 |
| Capital | Beijing | Washington, D.C. |
| Official Language | Mandarin Chinese | English (de facto) |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | United States Dollar (USD) |
| Government Type | Unitary one-party socialist republic | Federal presidential constitutional republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | China | United States of America |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 2,035,000 | 1,347,300 |
| Reserve Personnel | 510,000 | 799,500 |
| Total Military Personnel | 2,545,000 | 2,146,800 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $292,000,000,000 | $816,000,000,000.0 |
| Tanks | 5,651 | 6,612 |
| Armored Vehicles | 35,000 | 45,193 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 4,120 | 1,498 |
| Towed Artillery | 6,246 | 1,339 |
| Rocket Projectors | 2,430 | 1,366 |
Economy
| Metric | China | United States of America |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $17,963,200,000,000 | $27,360,935,000,000.0 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $12,720 | $81,695.0 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.0% | 3.5% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 38.5 | 41.4 |
| Currency | Renminbi (Yuan, CNY) | United States Dollar (USD) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| China Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 6.8086 Stronger |
| United States of America Currency | 0.1469 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | CNY | USD |
| 1 USD equals | 6.8086 CNY Updated: 2026-06-27 | 1.0000 USD Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
China has 4.2 times more people than United States of America.
With over a billion people, that's more than 1/8 of humanity!
United States of America has the highest GDP per capita at $81,695.0 among the selected countries.
United States of America has the largest economy with a GDP of
$27.36 trillion.
China has the largest active military personnel with 2,035,000 troops.
United States of America has the largest air force with 13,300 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.
USA Fact: The United States has more airports than any other country in the world, with over 13,000 airports.
China vs United States of America: Key Comparisons
Economy: United States of America's GDP of $27.4T is 1.5x larger than China's $18.0T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: China's population of 1.4B is 4.2x larger than United States of America's 335M.
Area: United States of America covers 9,833,517 km², making it 1.0x larger than China.
Military: China fields 2Million active troops vs United States of America's 1.3Million.
Trade: China runs a trade surplus of $534B while United States of America has a trade deficit of $910B.
Life Expectancy: United States of America leads with a life expectancy of 79 years vs China's 77.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology