China
GDP was US$19.50 trillion in 2025 (current US dollars). Real GDP grew 5.0% in 2025. GDP per capita at purchasing-power parity was $25,067 (constant 2021 international dollars, 2025).
How large is China’s economy, and how is it connected to Canada?
China grew 5.0% in 2025 with consumer prices flat (0.1%), investment at 40.5% of GDP in 2024 and a shrinking population
Structure and recent performance
China's GDP was US$19.5 trillion in 2025 at market exchange rates and 134% of the US level at purchasing-power parity. Real growth was 5.0% in 2025 and 5.0% in 2024. Consumer prices rose 0.1% in 2025, the lowest in the sample. Industry is 35.6% of GDP and manufacturing 24.7%; gross capital formation is 40.5% of GDP (2024), the highest in the sample. The current account balance is 3.8% of GDP and trade is 38.0% of GDP. GDP per person at purchasing-power parity rose 516.5% between 2000 and 2025 to $25,067, about 33% of the US level.
The Bank of Canada's October 2026 Monetary Policy Report projects China's real GDP growth at 4.6 per cent in 2026 and 4.2 per cent in 2027. That is the Bank of Canada's projection, not an observation and not Northline's.
Strengths and vulnerabilities
On these indicators China's strengths are scale, a very high investment rate, a large manufacturing base and a current account surplus. Its vulnerabilities, visible in the data, are a population that is falling (-0.2% a year) and ageing (14.9% aged 65 and over, from 7.0% in 2000), and near-zero consumer price inflation. This report holds no data series on China's property sector, debt or financial system.
Connections to Canada
China took 4.5% of Canada's merchandise exports in 2025 and supplied 11.5% of its imports. China's demand for commodities can affect world prices of metals, energy and grains that Canada exports, but this report does not measure that link: the relationship is held in the explorer only as a documented trade exposure.
"The sample" in this profile means the twelve economies that have a profile here: the United States, China, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Australia. It is not a ranking of all countries, and each comparison uses the latest year available for each country, which can differ.
What the data say about China
GDP was US$19.50 trillion in 2025 (current US dollars). Real GDP grew 5.0% in 2025. GDP per capita at purchasing-power parity was $25,067 (constant 2021 international dollars, 2025). Consumer price inflation averaged 0.1% in 2025. The modelled unemployment rate was 4.6% in 2025. Exports plus imports equalled 38% of GDP in 2025. Population was 1406.6 million in 2025.
| Indicator | Latest | Year | Freshness | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) US$ (current) | 1.950e+13 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.CD |
| GDP, PPP (constant 2021 international $) international $ (2021 PPP) | 3.526e+13 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.KD |
| GDP growth (annual %) % change, annual | 4.96 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG |
| GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2021 international $) international $ (2021 PPP) | 25,066.52 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.KD |
| GDP per capita (current US$) US$ (current) | 13,861.97 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.CD |
| GDP per capita growth (annual %) % change, annual | 5.14 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.KD.ZG |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) % change, annual average | 0.06 | 2025 | current | WDI FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) % of labour force (modelled ILO estimate) | 4.62 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS |
| Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) % of population 15+ (modelled ILO estimate) | 64.55 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.TLF.CACT.ZS |
| Trade (% of GDP) % of GDP | 37.96 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS |
| Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) % of GDP | 21.07 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS |
| Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) % of GDP | 16.89 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.IMP.GNFS.ZS |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) % of GDP | 3.77 | 2025 | current | WDI BN.CAB.XOKA.GD.ZS |
| Gross capital formation (% of GDP) % of GDP | 40.48 | 2024 | current | WDI NE.GDI.TOTL.ZS |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) % of GDP | 0.41 | 2025 | current | WDI BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS |
| Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 24.73 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.IND.MANF.ZS |
| Services, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 57.7 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 6.66 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS |
| Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) % of GDP | 2.58 | 2023 | current | WDI GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS |
| GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) US$ (constant 2021 PPP) per person employed | 48,125.79 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.GDP.PCAP.EM.KD |
| Population, total persons | 1.407e+9 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.TOTL |
| Population growth (annual %) % change, annual | -0.17 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.GROW |
| Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) % of population | 14.91 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS |
| Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita) kg of oil equivalent per capita | 2,946.81 | 2024 | current | WDI EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE |
| Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) % of electricity output | 28.43 | 2021 | aging | WDI EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS |
| Energy imports, net (% of energy use) % of energy use (net imports) | 24.02 | 2024 | current | WDI EG.IMP.CONS.ZS |
| Net migration persons (5-year net, UN estimate) | -268,126 | 2025 | current | WDI SM.POP.NETM |
| School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) % gross enrolment | 76.88 | 2024 | current | WDI SE.TER.ENRR |
China against Canada and the world
Annual series, 1990 onward.
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Recorded links between China and Canada
From the relationship graph, with each link’s evidence class.