China vs Brazil
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
China and Brazil are two of the five BRICS nations and major trading partners. China is Brazil's largest trading partner, purchasing roughly a third of Brazil's exports — primarily soybeans, iron ore, crude oil, and beef. The relationship is heavily commodity-based: Brazil ships raw materials to China and imports manufactured goods, electronics, and machinery. China's economy is roughly eight times larger than Brazil's. Brazil's growth has been volatile (recession in 2015-16, COVID crash in 2020), while China has maintained more consistent expansion, though its growth rate has slowed from double digits to around 5%.
China has a GDP of $20.85T compared to Brazil's $2.64T, making it 7.9x larger. China's population is 1.41B vs Brazil's 212.8M. Across 12 key indicators, China leads in 9 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  China |  Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $20.85T✓ | $2.64T |
| GDP per Capita | $14,874✓ | $12,313 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 4.4%✓ | 1.9% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $31,596✓ | $24,428 |
| Population | 1.41B✓ | 212.8M |
| Life Expectancy | 78.0 years✓ | 76.0 years |
| Inflation (%) | 1.2%✓ | 4.0% |
| Unemployment (%) | 5.1%✓ | 6.8% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 106.9% | 96.5%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1 | 1.6✓ |
| Gini Index | 36✓ | 50.3 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 9.3 | 2.3✓ |
Summary
China has a GDP of $20.85T compared to Brazil's $2.64T, making the former economy 7.9x larger. In terms of population, China has 1.41B people while Brazil has 212.8M. Across the 12 indicators compared, China leads in 9 and Brazil leads in 3.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | China | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $20.85T2026 | $2.64T2026 |
| World Bank | $19.50T2025 | $2.28T2025 |
| United Nations | $18.74T2024 | $2.19T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. China spans about 11% across 2 years; Brazil spans about 21% across 2 years.
| Source | China | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $14,8742026 | $12,3132026 |
| World Bank | $13,8622025 | $10,7132025 |
| United Nations | $13,2062024 | $10,3112024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. China spans about 13% across 2 years; Brazil spans about 19% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.