Flag of China

China: capital, population, area and flag

China is a country in Eastern Asia (Asia). Its capital is Beijing. The population is about 1.41B (#2 of 193) and the area is about 9,562,910 km² (#4 of 193).

Key facts

Capital
Beijing
Region
Asia / Eastern Asia
Population
1,406,585,000 (2025) #2 of 193
Total area
9,562,910 km² (2024) #4 of 193
Population density
150.1 people/km² (2024) #60 of 193
GDP (total)
$19.5T (2025) #2 of 189
GDP per capita
$13,862 (2025) #73 of 189
Life expectancy
78.0 years (2024) #54 of 193
Distance from Japan
2,092 km #190 of 192
Largest city
Shanghai
Area compared with Japan
about 25 times that of Japan
Population compared with Japan
about 11 times that of Japan
Main languages
Chinese
Currency
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
Calling code
+86
Time zone (capital)
UTC+8
Time difference from Japan (standard time)
1 h behind Japan
Driving side
Right
Capital location
39.90°N 116.41°E

Map of China

Map of China

Capital: Beijing

China: number one in the world

China ranks first in the world for these crops, animals, seafood and farm products (latest FAO data). Select one to see the whole ranking.

China: in the world’s top 10 for food & farming

China ranks among the world’s top 10 for these crops, animals, seafood and farm products (latest FAO data).

Neighbors by land

Top rankings

China is in the top 10 for:

China in world rankings

How China compares with other countries, indicator by indicator. Click an indicator to see the full ranking.

IndicatorValueYearRank
Geography & nature
Total area9,562,910 km²2024#4 of 193
Number of land borders14#1 of 193 tied
Latitude of the capital39.9°#50 of 193
Distance from Japan2,092 km#190 of 192
Forest area (share of land)24.0%2024#113 of 193
Arable land (share of land)11.6%2024#86 of 190
Protected land (share of land)15.6%2025#112 of 192 tied
Agricultural land (share of land)41.7%2024#88 of 192
Average annual rainfall645 mm2022#122 of 180
Freshwater resources per person1,992 m³2022#105 of 181
Forest area2,271,530 km²2025#5 of 193
Marine protected areas (share of territorial waters)4.8%2025#58 of 153 tied
People & population
Population1,406,585,0002025#2 of 193
Population density150.1 people/km²2024#60 of 193
Population growth rate-0.17%2025#171 of 193
Urban population (share of people)66.3%2025#84 of 193
Life expectancy78.0 years2024#54 of 193
Fertility rate1.01 births per woman2024#189 of 193
Infant mortality rate4.1 per 1,000 births2024#151 of 192 tied
Birth rate6.8 per 1,000 people2024#185 of 193
Share of people aged 65 and over14.9%2025#56 of 193
Share of children aged 0–1415.4%2025#159 of 193
Life expectancy of women81.0 years2024#56 of 193
Life expectancy of men75.2 years2024#53 of 193
Maternal mortality ratio16 per 100,000 births2023#131 of 192 tied
City dwellers living in the largest city (share)3.3%2025#149 of 149
Death rate (per 1,000 people)7.8 per 1,000 people2024#79 of 193
Under-5 mortality (per 1,000 births)5.7 per 1,000 births2024#146 of 192 tied
Population aged 15–64 (share of population)69.7%2025#22 of 193
Economy
GDP (total)$19.5T2025#2 of 189
GDP per capita$13,8622025#73 of 189
GDP per capita (PPP)$29,3332025#69 of 185
Economic growth rate5.0%2025#48 of 188
Inflation rate0.1%2025#166 of 179
Unemployment rate4.6%2025#105 of 178
Exports (share of GDP)21.1%2025#132 of 168
Imports (share of GDP)16.9%2025#158 of 168
Agriculture (share of GDP)6.7%2025#92 of 184
Industry (share of GDP)35.6%2025#28 of 185
Services (share of GDP)57.7%2025#88 of 185
Military spending (share of GDP)1.7%2025#77 of 155
Income inequality (Gini index)36.0 (0–100)2022#63 of 149 tied
Goods exports (total)$3.77T2025#1 of 190
Money sent home by workers abroad (share of GDP)0.2%2025#151 of 170
Women in the labor force (share of women)59.1%2025#53 of 178
Youth unemployment rate15.8%2025#69 of 178
Cereal production651,355,743 t2024#1 of 177
Cereal yield (per hectare of farmland)6,495 kg/ha2024#22 of 175
Fish and seafood production (catch + farmed)95,211,995 t2024#1 of 193
Fish catch (from sea, rivers and lakes)13,262,322 t2024#1 of 193
Aquaculture (farmed fish and seafood)81,949,673 t2024#1 of 193
Livestock production growth (2014–16 = 100)115.6 (2014–16 average = 100)2024#73 of 187
Fertilizer use (per hectare of arable land)393 kg/ha2024#13 of 187
Manufacturing (share of GDP)24.7%2025#8 of 178
Employment in agriculture (share of jobs)21.7%2025#81 of 178
High-technology exports (share of manufactured exports)26.3%2024#19 of 168
Foreign direct investment, inflows (share of GDP)0.4%2025#152 of 187
Development aid received (share of national income)-0.0%2023#132 of 132
Labor force (number of people)768,071,9232025#1 of 178
Reserves of foreign currency and gold$3.75T2025#1 of 169
Extreme poverty (share living on less than $3.00 a day)0.0%2022#120 of 132 tied
Daily life & technology
Internet users (share of people)91.6%2025#46 of 186
Mobile phone subscriptions131.8 per 100 people2024#50 of 193
Access to electricity (share of people)100.0%2024#1 of 193 tied
Health spending (share of GDP)5.9%2023#105 of 192
Education spending (share of GDP)3.9%2023#104 of 179
Hospital beds5.6 per 1,000 people2023#20 of 157
Doctors3.11 per 1,000 people2022#57 of 188
Research spending (share of GDP)2.58%2023#15 of 130
Women in parliament (share of seats)26.5%2025#93 of 192
University and college enrollment76.9%2024#35 of 163
Fixed broadband subscriptions47.2 per 100 people2024#6 of 192
Air passengers carried619,215,8862023#2 of 152
Safe sanitation (share of people)68.9%2024#62 of 136
Undernourishment (share of people)2.5%2024#102 of 165 tied
Clean cooking fuels (share of people)90.0%2024#105 of 192 tied
Road traffic deaths17.4 per 100,000 people2019#76 of 183
Measles vaccination (share of children)95.0%2024#60 of 192 tied
Nurses and midwives (per 1,000 people)3.67 per 1,000 people2022#98 of 190 tied
Tuberculosis cases (per 100,000 people)49 per 100,000 people2024#88 of 191 tied
Health spending per person$7632023#72 of 192
Container port traffic (TEU)299,703,800 TEU2024#1 of 150
Environment
Renewable electricity (share of power)28.4%2021#89 of 187
CO₂ emissions per person9.3 t CO₂e per person2024#19 of 186
CO₂ emissions (total)13,124.7 Mt CO₂e2024#1 of 186
Air pollution (PM2.5)32.0 µg/m³2023#43 of 192
Energy use per person2,947 kg oil eq. per person2024#35 of 146
Renewable energy (share of final energy use)15.2%2021#121 of 191 tied
Electricity consumption per person7,038 kWh per person2024#24 of 146
Electricity from nuclear power (share of total)4.4%2024#25 of 190
Electricity from hydropower (share of total)13.9%2024#91 of 190
Greenhouse gas emissions (total)15,536.1 Mt CO₂e2024#1 of 186
Freshwater withdrawal (share of internal resources)20.2%2022#58 of 175
Food & farming
Wheat: production140,100,000 t2024#1 of 120
Rice: production207,530,000 t2024#2 of 114
Maize (corn): production294,920,000 t2024#2 of 160
Barley: production985,986 t2024#29 of 100
Sorghum: production3,069,546 t2024#8 of 107
Millet: production2,783,739 t2024#3 of 73
Oats: production534,689 t2024#13 of 74
Rye: production514,091 t2024#6 of 62
Potatoes: production94,806,520 t2024#1 of 150
Cassava: production5,069,031 t2024#17 of 92
Sweet potatoes: production51,354,274 t2024#1 of 105
Soybeans: production20,650,000 t2024#4 of 101
Groundnuts (peanuts): production19,613,100 t2024#1 of 108
Rapeseed (canola): production16,868,900 t2024#2 of 63
Dry beans: production1,322,698 t2024#6 of 105
Chickpeas: production15,645 t2024#19 of 47
Lentils: production167,596 t2024#9 of 43
Dry peas: production1,489,237 t2024#3 of 95
Sunflower seeds: production2,348,400 t2024#4 of 73
Coconuts: production373,544 t2024#16 of 79
Palm oil: production112,877 t2023#21 of 45
Tomatoes: production61,614,749 t2024#1 of 164
Onions: production24,221,236 t2024#2 of 139
Cabbages: production36,201,344 t2024#1 of 143
Carrots (with turnips): production19,040,468 t2024#1 of 129
Cucumbers (with gherkins): production68,592,516 t2024#1 of 130
Lettuce (with chicory): production14,694,796 t2024#1 of 102
Cauliflower (with broccoli): production9,806,141 t2024#1 of 95
Eggplants (aubergines): production34,870,863 t2024#1 of 94
Green chilies and sweet peppers: production17,307,027 t2024#1 of 124
Mushrooms (with truffles): production48,607,249 t2024#1 of 63
Garlic: production21,645,771 t2024#1 of 102
Oranges: production7,620,000 t2024#2 of 112
Tangerines (mandarins): production27,000,000 t2024#1 of 70
Lemons (with limes): production2,319,972 t2024#3 of 101
Apples: production51,285,100 t2024#1 of 92
Bananas: production11,759,700 t2024#2 of 113
Grapes: production16,821,674 t2024#1 of 91
Mangoes (with guavas and mangosteens): production4,075,418 t2024#3 of 96
Pineapples: production2,145,780 t2024#5 of 82
Strawberries: production4,115,659 t2024#1 of 80
Watermelons: production63,510,422 t2024#1 of 119
Peaches (with nectarines): production17,600,000 t2024#1 of 79
Avocados: production133,931 t2024#16 of 70
Dates: production162,330 t2024#12 of 36
Melons (cantaloupes and others): production13,222,785 t2024#1 of 95
Pears: production20,987,900 t2024#1 of 85
Plums (with sloes): production6,900,813 t2024#1 of 87
Apricots: production60,436 t2024#16 of 65
Cherries: production36,181 t2024#15 of 65
Papayas: production587,829 t2024#7 of 68
Grapefruits (with pomelos): production5,250,000 t2024#1 of 71
Almonds: production48,000 t2024#13 of 48
Walnuts: production1,500,000 t2024#1 of 55
Coffee: production114,000 t2024#16 of 74
Tea: production16,260,900 t2024#1 of 45
Sugar cane: production102,094,400 t2024#3 of 93
Sugar beet: production12,411,200 t2024#9 of 57
Cotton (fibre): production5,617,900 t2023#1 of 85
Tobacco: production2,256,400 t2024#1 of 117
Black pepper (Piper spp.): production34,588 t2024#9 of 45
Ginger: production585,378 t2024#3 of 40
Beef (cattle meat): production7,011,810 t2024#3 of 181
Pork (pig meat): production57,060,000 t2024#1 of 164
Chicken meat: production15,350,000 t2024#2 of 183
Cow’s milk: production40,790,000 t2024#3 of 178
Hen eggs: production30,856,800 t2024#1 of 167
Honey: production444,800 t2024#1 of 122
Sheep meat (mutton and lamb): production2,640,525 t2024#1 of 172
Goat meat: production2,536,975 t2024#1 of 164
Goat’s milk: production206,322 t2024#22 of 108
Butter (with ghee): production119,298 t2023#17 of 124
Cheese (all kinds): production232,460 t2023#24 of 105
Whiteleg shrimp: production2,373,885 t2024#1 of 54
Giant tiger prawn: production137,965 t2024#3 of 26
Giant river prawn: production245,655 t2024#1 of 30
Nile tilapia: production1,404,119 t2024#2 of 79
Grass carp: production6,164,855 t2024#1 of 47
Silver carp: production3,911,127 t2024#1 of 46
Common carp: production2,939,315 t2024#1 of 97
Bighead carp: production3,487,758 t2024#1 of 20
Rainbow trout: production47,822 t2024#6 of 79
Skipjack tuna: production35,399 t2024#23 of 82
Yellowfin tuna: production25,133 t2024#22 of 82
Bigeye tuna: production15,003 t2024#6 of 68
Albacore: production54,199 t2024#1 of 60
Atlantic bluefin tuna: production113 t2024#21 of 32
Swordfish: production2,406 t2024#10 of 76
Largehead hairtail (cutlassfish): production916,530 t2024#1 of 44
Seaweeds and other aquatic plants: production24,710,027 t2024#1 of 68
Shrimps and prawns: production3,701,725 t2024#1 of 114
Crabs: production935,968 t2024#1 of 97
Crayfish and other freshwater crustaceans: production4,984,038 t2024#1 of 64
Oysters: production7,252,494 t2024#1 of 51
Clams and cockles: production6,796,563 t2024#1 of 55
Scallops: production1,950,547 t2024#1 of 31
Mussels: production781,441 t2024#1 of 52
Squids, cuttlefish and octopuses: production1,068,232 t2024#1 of 102
Tunas, bonitos and billfishes: production536,834 t2024#3 of 133
Carps and other cyprinids: production21,126,558 t2024#1 of 115
Tilapias and other cichlids: production1,894,329 t2024#1 of 119
Herrings, sardines and anchovies: production729,119 t2024#6 of 108
Flatfishes (flounders, halibuts, soles): production123,734 t2024#2 of 91
Freshwater eels: production310,397 t2024#1 of 41
Sea urchins, sea cucumbers and other echinoderms: production333,748 t2024#1 of 48
Sharks and rays: production33 t2024#102 of 127
Cattle: number of animals70,325,500 animals2024#5 of 183
Pigs: number of animals427,430,000 animals2024#1 of 165
Chickens: number of animals5,243,707,000 birds2024#1 of 181
Sheep: number of animals182,939,000 animals2024#1 of 173
Goats: number of animals117,554,000 animals2024#2 of 180
Horses: number of animals3,521,000 animals2024#6 of 143
Buffaloes: number of animals30,139,500 animals2024#3 of 45
Camels: number of animals634,000 animals2024#11 of 46
Donkeys: number of animals1,299,000 animals2024#11 of 104
Ducks: number of animals830,219,000 birds2024#1 of 80

Questions about China

What is the capital of China?

The capital of China is Beijing.

What is the population of China?

China has a population of about 1.41B (2025), #2 of 193 among countries.

How big is China?

China covers about 9,562,910 km², #4 of 193 among countries.

Which continent is China in?

China is in Asia, in the region of Eastern Asia.

What is China number one in the world for in food and farming?

China ranks first in the world for: Wheat 140M t, Potatoes 94.8M t, Sweet potatoes 51.4M t, Groundnuts (peanuts) 19.6M t, Tomatoes 61.6M t, Cabbages 36.2M t, Carrots (with turnips) 19M t, Cucumbers (with gherkins) 68.6M t, Lettuce (with chicory) 14.7M t, Cauliflower (with broccoli) 9.81M t, Eggplants (aubergines) 34.9M t, Green chilies and sweet peppers 17.3M t, Mushrooms (with truffles) 48.6M t, Garlic 21.6M t, Tangerines (mandarins) 27M t, Apples 51.3M t, Grapes 16.8M t, Strawberries 4.12M t, Watermelons 63.5M t, Peaches (with nectarines) 17.6M t, Melons (cantaloupes and others) 13.2M t, Pears 21M t, Plums (with sloes) 6.9M t, Grapefruits (with pomelos) 5.25M t, Walnuts 1.5M t, Tea 16.3M t, Cotton (fibre) 5.62M t, Tobacco 2.26M t, Pork (pig meat) 57.1M t, Hen eggs 30.9M t, Honey 445K t, Sheep meat (mutton and lamb) 2.64M t, Goat meat 2.54M t, Whiteleg shrimp 2.37M t, Giant river prawn 246K t, Grass carp 6.16M t, Silver carp 3.91M t, Common carp 2.94M t, Bighead carp 3.49M t, Albacore 54.2K t, Largehead hairtail (cutlassfish) 917K t, Seaweeds and other aquatic plants 24.7M t, Shrimps and prawns 3.7M t, Crabs 936K t, Crayfish and other freshwater crustaceans 4.98M t, Oysters 7.25M t, Clams and cockles 6.8M t, Scallops 1.95M t, Mussels 781K t, Squids, cuttlefish and octopuses 1.07M t, Carps and other cyprinids 21.1M t, Tilapias and other cichlids 1.89M t, Freshwater eels 310K t, Sea urchins, sea cucumbers and other echinoderms 334K t, Pigs 427M animals, Chickens 5.24B birds, Sheep 183M animals, Ducks 830M birds (FAO data).

What currency and languages are used in China?

The currency is the Chinese Yuan. Main languages: Chinese.

How does China compare with Japan in size and population?

The area of China is about 25 times that of Japan, and its population is about 11 times that of Japan.

How far is China from Japan?

The capital, Beijing, is about 2,092 km from Tokyo, the capital of Japan, in a straight line.

What is the time difference between China and Japan?

The capital, Beijing, is on UTC+8 in standard time: 1 h behind Japan.

What is the largest city in China?

The largest city in China is Shanghai. The capital is Beijing.

More countries in Eastern Asia

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