GDP growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in China
China: GDP growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) was 5.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
GDP growth in China, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gdp growth in China is 5.0%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.1% on the previous year and down 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gdp growth in China peaked at 19.3% in 1970 and was at its lowest, -1.6%, in 1976.
That places China 44th out of 212 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
GDP growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in China, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 19.3% | — |
| 1971 | 7.1% | -63.4% |
| 1972 | 3.8% | -46.0% |
| 1973 | 7.8% | +103.7% |
| 1974 | 2.3% | -70.2% |
| 1975 | 8.7% | +277.5% |
| 1976 | -1.6% | -118.0% |
| 1977 | 7.6% | -582.2% |
| 1978 | 11.3% | +49.6% |
| 1979 | 7.6% | -33.0% |
| 1980 | 7.8% | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 5.1% | -34.7% |
| 1982 | 9.1% | +77.2% |
| 1983 | 10.7% | +18.4% |
| 1984 | 15.2% | +42.0% |
| 1985 | 13.4% | -11.8% |
| 1986 | 8.9% | -33.5% |
| 1987 | 11.6% | +30.1% |
| 1988 | 11.2% | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 4.2% | -62.5% |
| 1990 | 3.9% | -6.3% |
| 1991 | 9.4% | +137.5% |
| 1992 | 14.3% | +52.7% |
| 1993 | 13.9% | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 13.1% | -6.1% |
| 1995 | 11.0% | -15.6% |
| 1996 | 10.0% | -9.6% |
| 1997 | 9.3% | -6.9% |
| 1998 | 7.9% | -14.7% |
| 1999 | 7.7% | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 8.6% | +11.0% |
| 2001 | 8.3% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 9.2% | +11.2% |
| 2003 | 10.1% | +9.5% |
| 2004 | 10.1% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 11.5% | +13.1% |
| 2006 | 12.7% | +10.6% |
| 2007 | 14.2% | +11.6% |
| 2008 | 9.7% | -31.7% |
| 2009 | 9.4% | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 10.6% | +12.7% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | -10.7% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | -17.0% |
| 2013 | 7.8% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 7.5% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | -6.5% |
| 2016 | 6.8% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 6.1% | -10.2% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | -61.4% |
| 2021 | 8.6% | +266.2% |
| 2022 | 3.1% | -63.4% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | +72.8% |
| 2024 | 5.0% | -8.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.3%, 1.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 5.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3.8%, 1.3× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where GDP growth (annual %) (UNESCO Institute) in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | +582.2% | -1.6% | 7.6% |
| 1975 | +277.5% | 2.3% | 8.7% |
| 2021 | +266.2% | 2.3% | 8.6% |
| 1991 | +137.5% | 3.9% | 9.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.4% | -1.6% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.7% | 4.2% | 15.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.1% | 3.9% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.4% | 8.3% | 14.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 6.1% | 10.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 2.3% | 8.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 41 Sri Lanka 5.0% compare
- 42 Mali 5.0% compare
- 43 Burkina Faso 5.0% compare
- 45 Dominican Republic 5.0% compare
- 46 Saint Martin (French Part) 4.9% compare
- 47 Bhutan 4.9% compare
More population data for China
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -12.97 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.31 million Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1671 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3489 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.68 (2100)
- Population density 67.46 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 15.54 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gdp growth in China?
- Gdp growth in China was 5.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gdp growth recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 1970.
- What is the lowest gdp growth recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.6% in 1976.
- How does China rank for gdp growth?
- China ranks 44th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is gdp growth rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of GDP growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release