Number of clinical trials in China

China: Number of clinical trials was 1,649 trials in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1,649 trials
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
3rd
of 153 countries
All-time high
1,661 trials
in 2023
All-time low
3 trials
in 2002
Years of data
23
2002–2024

Number of clinical trials in China, 2002–2024

05001.0k1.5k2002201320242002: 3 trials2003: 10 trials2004: 17 trials2005: 32 trials2006: 71 trials2007: 85 trials2008: 104 trials2009: 169 trials2010: 206 trials2011: 257 trials2012: 297 trials2013: 334 trials2014: 404 trials2015: 440 trials2016: 458 trials2017: 543 trials2018: 685 trials2019: 908 trials2020: 967 trials2021: 1.2k trials2022: 1.4k trials2023: 1.7k trials2024: 1.6k trials

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in trials.

Analysis

China recorded 1,649 trials for number of clinical trials in 2024.

That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and up 308.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of clinical trials in China peaked at 1,661 trials in 2023 and was at its lowest, 3 trials, in 2002.

That places China 3rd out of 153 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 61.38 trials 3 trials 169 trials 8
2010s 453.2 trials 206 trials 908 trials 10
2020s 1,360 trials 967 trials 1,661 trials 5

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 United States 6,222 trials compare
  2. 2 Turkey 2,075 trials compare
  3. 4 Egypt 1,144 trials compare
  4. 5 France 896 trials compare
  5. 6 Spain 566 trials compare

See the full ranking of 153 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of clinical trials in China?
Number of clinical trials in China was 1,649 trials in 2024, according to ClinicalTrials.gov (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of clinical trials recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 1,661 trials in 2023.
What is the lowest number of clinical trials recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 3 trials in 2002.
How does China rank for number of clinical trials?
China ranks 3rd out of 153 countries with data for 2024.
Is number of clinical trials rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 308.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from ClinicalTrials.gov (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of clinical trials. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Number of clinical trials
Unit
trials
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
153 places, 2,621 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

Annual number of completed clinical trials registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov database for each country. Registration in the ClinicalTrials database is mandatory for trials in the United States, but voluntary for other countries.