China vs United States: Total population
China
1.42 million thousands
in 2025
United States
346,374 thousands
in 2025
China rank
2nd
United States rank
3rd
Total population over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 1.42 million thousands against 346,374 thousands in United States, a difference of 1.07 million thousands.
That makes China's figure about 4.1 times United States's.
Across all 55 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 230 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 894,766 thousands | 216,856 thousands | 677,910 thousands | China |
| 1980s | 1.05 million thousands | 239,229 thousands | 807,386 thousands | China |
| 1990s | 1.21 million thousands | 265,087 thousands | 940,705 thousands | China |
| 2000s | 1.30 million thousands | 293,011 thousands | 1.01 million thousands | China |
| 2010s | 1.39 million thousands | 323,106 thousands | 1.06 million thousands | China |
| 2020s | 1.42 million thousands | 342,064 thousands | 1.08 million thousands | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, China or United States?
- China, at 1.42 million thousands against 346,374 thousands in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between China and United States?
- 1.07 million thousands, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for total population?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release