Annual precipitation in China

China: Annual precipitation was 833.24 millimeters in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
833.24 millimeters
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
113th
of 192 countries
All-time high
1,011 millimeters
in 1946
All-time low
699.62 millimeters
in 2011
Years of data
86
1940–2025

Annual precipitation in China, 1940–2025

02505007501.0k194019822025

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for annual precipitation in China is 833.24 millimeters, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 3.8% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual precipitation in China peaked at 1,011 millimeters in 1946 and was at its lowest, 699.62 millimeters, in 2011.

That places China 113th out of 192 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1940s 837.29 millimeters 742.51 millimeters 1,011 millimeters 10
1950s 894.43 millimeters 826.6 millimeters 977.32 millimeters 10
1960s 873.41 millimeters 844.94 millimeters 947.34 millimeters 10
1970s 850.41 millimeters 799.41 millimeters 913.84 millimeters 10
1980s 861.93 millimeters 812.8 millimeters 918.15 millimeters 10
1990s 880.09 millimeters 844.04 millimeters 954.81 millimeters 10
2000s 796.17 millimeters 728.45 millimeters 859 millimeters 10
2010s 797.51 millimeters 699.62 millimeters 869.12 millimeters 10
2020s 816.27 millimeters 764.63 millimeters 865.72 millimeters 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 110 Estonia 845.38 millimeters compare
  2. 111 Cuba 843.17 millimeters compare
  3. 114 Latvia 833.21 millimeters compare
  4. 115 Ethiopia 829.13 millimeters compare
  5. 116 United States 810.4 millimeters compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual precipitation in China?
Annual precipitation in China was 833.24 millimeters in 2025, according to Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual precipitation recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 1,011 millimeters in 1946.
What is the lowest annual precipitation recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 699.62 millimeters in 2011.
How does China rank for annual precipitation?
China ranks 113th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual precipitation rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 Annual precipitation. 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
Annual precipitation
Unit
millimeters
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
192 places, 16,512 data points, 1940–2025
Last refreshed

Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.