Average annual surface temperature in China

China: Average annual surface temperature was 8.21 °C in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
8.21 °C
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
174th
of 193 countries
All-time high
8.34 °C
in 2024
All-time low
5.63 °C
in 1957
Years of data
86
1940–2025

Average annual surface temperature in China, 1940–2025

02468194019822025

Source: Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in °C.

Analysis

China recorded 8.21 °C for average annual surface temperature in 2025.

The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average annual surface temperature in China peaked at 8.34 °C in 2024 and was at its lowest, 5.63 °C, in 1957.

That places China 174th out of 193 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 86 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1940s 6.6 °C 6.03 °C 7.11 °C 10
1950s 6.28 °C 5.63 °C 6.91 °C 10
1960s 6.2 °C 5.76 °C 6.48 °C 10
1970s 6.23 °C 5.92 °C 6.56 °C 10
1980s 6.4 °C 6.05 °C 6.76 °C 10
1990s 6.89 °C 6.4 °C 7.59 °C 10
2000s 7.24 °C 6.79 °C 7.72 °C 10
2010s 7.36 °C 6.63 °C 7.77 °C 10
2020s 7.96 °C 7.61 °C 8.34 °C 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 171 Faroe Islands 8.35 °C compare
  2. 172 Lithuania 8.34 °C compare
  3. 173 North Korea 8.33 °C compare
  4. 175 Latvia 7.95 °C compare
  5. 176 Armenia 7.91 °C compare
  6. 177 Austria 7.81 °C compare

See the full ranking of 193 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is average annual surface temperature in China?
Average annual surface temperature in China was 8.21 °C in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average annual surface temperature recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 8.34 °C in 2024.
What is the lowest average annual surface temperature recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 5.63 °C in 1957.
How does China rank for average annual surface temperature?
China ranks 174th out of 193 countries with data for 2025.
Is average annual surface temperature rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average annual surface temperature. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 86 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Average annual surface temperature
Unit
°C
Source
Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
193 places, 16,598 data points, 1940–2025
Last refreshed

The temperature of the air measured 2 meters above the ground, encompassing land, sea, and in-land water surfaces.