China vs Japan
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
China overtook Japan as the world's second-largest economy in 2010, ending Japan's 42-year run in that position. The reversal was dramatic: in 2000, Japan's GDP was nearly three times China's; by 2025, China's GDP exceeds Japan's by a factor of four. China's growth has been driven by manufacturing exports, infrastructure investment, and urbanization, while Japan has struggled with deflation and demographic decline. Japan's population has been shrinking since 2008, while China's began declining in 2022 — China may be entering its own "Japan scenario" of aging-driven stagnation.
China has a GDP of $20.85T compared to Japan's $4.38T, making it 4.8x larger. China's population is 1.41B vs Japan's 123.4M. Across 12 key indicators, Japan leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  China |  Japan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $20.85T✓ | $4.38T |
| GDP per Capita | $14,874 | $35,703✓ |
| GDP Growth (%) | 4.4%✓ | 0.7% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $31,596 | $59,207✓ |
| Population | 1.41B✓ | 123.4M |
| Life Expectancy | 78.0 years | 84.0 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 1.2%✓ | 2.2% |
| Unemployment (%) | 5.1% | 2.5%✓ |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 106.9%✓ | 204.4% |
| Fertility Rate | 1 | 1.1✓ |
| Gini Index | 36 | 32.3✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 9.3 | 7.8✓ |
Summary
China has a GDP of $20.85T compared to Japan's $4.38T, making the former economy 4.8x larger. In terms of population, China has 1.41B people while Japan has 123.4M. Across the 12 indicators compared, China leads in 5 and Japan leads in 7.
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 | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $20.85T2026 | $4.38T2026 |
| World Bank | $19.50T2025 | $4.44T2025 |
| United Nations | $18.74T2024 | $4.03T2024 |
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; Japan spans about 10% across 1 year.
| Source | China | Japan |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $14,8742026 | $35,7032026 |
| World Bank | $13,8622025 | $35,9512025 |
| United Nations | $13,2062024 | $32,5342024 |
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; Japan spans about 11% across 1 year.
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.