Total natural resource rents in China

China: Total natural resource rents was 1.7% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
1.7%
Change on year
up 97.7%
World rank
106th
of 211 countries
All-time high
19.7%
in 1980
All-time low
0.8%
in 1971
Years of data
52
1970–2021

Total natural resource rents in China, 1970–2021

05101520197019952021

Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for total natural resource rents in China is 1.7%, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of up 97.7% on the previous year and down 77.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total natural resource rents in China peaked at 19.7% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 1971.

China ranks 106th of 211 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.4% 0.8% 17.1% 10
1980s 11.4% 5.8% 19.7% 10
1990s 4.0% 1.7% 8.6% 10
2000s 4.5% 2.0% 9.6% 10
2010s 3.0% 1.1% 7.7% 10
2020s 1.3% 0.9% 1.7% 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 103 Thailand 1.8% compare
  2. 104 Serbia 1.7% compare
  3. 105 Estonia 1.7% compare
  4. 107 Comoros 1.6% compare
  5. 108 New Zealand 1.5% compare
  6. 109 Albania 1.4% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is total natural resource rents in China?
Total natural resource rents in China was 1.7% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest total natural resource rents recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 19.7% in 1980.
What is the lowest total natural resource rents recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 1971.
How does China rank for total natural resource rents?
China ranks 106th out of 211 countries with data for 2021.
Is total natural resource rents rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 77.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Total natural resource rents. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Total natural resource rents
Unit
% of GDP
Source
The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
211 places, 9,209 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed

Natural resources rents are estimated as the difference between the price of a commodity and the average cost of producing it. Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents, mineral rents, and forest rents.