Human capital in China

China: Human capital was 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
2nd
of 151 countries
All-time high
71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$
in 2020
All-time low
50.29 trillion real chained 2019 US$
in 1995
Years of data
26
1995–2020

Human capital in China, 1995–2020

020.0T40.0T60.0T80.0T1995200720201995: 50.3T real chained 2019 US$1996: 51.7T real chained 2019 US$1997: 53.1T real chained 2019 US$1998: 54.7T real chained 2019 US$1999: 56.2T real chained 2019 US$2000: 57.8T real chained 2019 US$2001: 58.4T real chained 2019 US$2002: 59.2T real chained 2019 US$2003: 60.0T real chained 2019 US$2004: 61.1T real chained 2019 US$2005: 62.1T real chained 2019 US$2006: 62.9T real chained 2019 US$2007: 63.4T real chained 2019 US$2008: 63.6T real chained 2019 US$2009: 63.8T real chained 2019 US$2010: 64.2T real chained 2019 US$2011: 65.5T real chained 2019 US$2012: 66.5T real chained 2019 US$2013: 67.4T real chained 2019 US$2014: 68.2T real chained 2019 US$2015: 68.9T real chained 2019 US$2016: 69.6T real chained 2019 US$2017: 70.1T real chained 2019 US$2018: 70.7T real chained 2019 US$2019: 71.2T real chained 2019 US$2020: 71.7T real chained 2019 US$

Source: 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. Measured in real chained 2019 US$.

Analysis

In 2020, human capital in China stood at 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, human capital in China peaked at 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ in 2020 and was at its lowest, 50.29 trillion real chained 2019 US$, in 1995.

China ranks 2nd of 151 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.

Human capital in China, year by year

Annual values for Human capital (real chained 2019 US$) in China, 1995 to 2020.
Year real chained 2019 US$ Change
1995 50.29 trillion real chained 2019 US$ —
1996 51.66 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +2.7%
1997 53.13 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +2.8%
1998 54.66 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +2.9%
1999 56.17 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +2.8%
2000 57.76 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +2.8%
2001 58.40 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.1%
2002 59.18 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.3%
2003 60.00 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.4%
2004 61.07 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.8%
2005 62.09 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.7%
2006 62.85 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.2%
2007 63.38 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.8%
2008 63.60 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.3%
2009 63.82 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.4%
2010 64.21 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.6%
2011 65.52 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +2.0%
2012 66.47 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.5%
2013 67.41 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.4%
2014 68.24 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.2%
2015 68.93 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.0%
2016 69.62 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +1.0%
2017 70.14 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.8%
2018 70.67 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.8%
2019 71.20 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.8%
2020 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ +0.7%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 282.57 billion real chained 2019 US$, 253.9× the median. (43 countries reporting)
  • China's 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.06 trillion real chained 2019 US$, 34.8× the median. (16 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 53.18 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 50.29 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 56.17 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 5
2000s 61.21 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 57.76 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 63.82 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 10
2010s 68.24 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 64.21 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 71.20 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 10
2020s 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ 1

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 United States 166.87 trillion real chained 2019 US$ compare
  2. 3 Germany 30.01 trillion real chained 2019 US$ compare
  3. 4 Japan 29.18 trillion real chained 2019 US$ compare
  4. 5 France 20.87 trillion real chained 2019 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 151 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is human capital in China?
Human capital in China was 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ in 2020, according to 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.
What is the highest human capital recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 71.73 trillion real chained 2019 US$ in 2020.
What is the lowest human capital recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 50.29 trillion real chained 2019 US$ in 1995.
How does China rank for human capital?
China ranks 2nd out of 151 countries with data for 2020.
Is human capital rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures 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 part of Human capital (real chained 2019 US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Human capital in China. Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/human-capital-real-chained-2019-us/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Human capital (real chained 2019 US$)
Unit
real chained 2019 US$
Source
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
151 places, 3,885 data points, 1995–2020
Last refreshed

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.