China vs United States: Human capital
China
71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$
in 2020
United States
166.87 trillion real chained 2019 US$
in 2020
China rank
2nd
United States rank
1st
Human capital over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 166.87 trillion real chained 2019 US$ against 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ in China, a difference of 95.14 trillion real chained 2019 US$.
That makes United States's figure about 2.3 times China's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 150 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 53.18 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 126.13 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 72.95 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | United States |
| 2000s | 61.21 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 139.16 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 77.95 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | United States |
| 2010s | 68.24 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 151.98 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 83.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | United States |
| 2020s | 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 166.87 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | 95.14 trillion real chained 2019 US$ | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher human capital, China or United States?
- United States, at 166.87 trillion real chained 2019 US$ against 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ in China as of 2020.
- What is the difference in human capital between China and United States?
- 95.14 trillion real chained 2019 US$, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2020.
- How do China and United States rank globally for human capital?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 150 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank. 2021. The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021: Managing Assets for the Future. Washington, DC: World Bank. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-1590-4, published as Human capital (real chained 2019 US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Human capital is computed as the present value of future earnings for the working population over their lifetimes. Values are measured at market exchange rates in constant 2018 US dollars, using a country-specific GDP deflator.