Annual number of objects launched into space in China

China: Annual number of objects launched into space was 374 objects in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
374 objects
Change on year
up 40.6%
World rank
2nd
of 50 countries
All-time high
374 objects
in 2025
All-time low
1 objects
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2025

Annual number of objects launched into space in China, 1970–2025

0100200300400197019972025

Source: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in objects.

Analysis

China recorded 374 objects for annual number of objects launched into space in 2025. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.

That represents a change of up 40.6% on the previous year and up 884.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual number of objects launched into space in China peaked at 374 objects in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1 objects, in 1970.

That places China 2nd out of 50 countries with data for 2025, 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
1970s 1.5 objects 1 objects 3 objects 6
1980s 2.12 objects 1 objects 4 objects 8
1990s 4.6 objects 1 objects 10 objects 10
2000s 8.4 objects 2 objects 17 objects 10
2010s 38.8 objects 19 objects 95 objects 10
2020s 202.5 objects 73 objects 374 objects 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 United States 3,708 objects compare
  2. 3 Russia 89 objects compare
  3. 4 Italy 30 objects compare
  4. 4 Japan 30 objects compare

See the full ranking of 52 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual number of objects launched into space in China?
Annual number of objects launched into space in China was 374 objects in 2025, according to United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual number of objects launched into space recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 374 objects in 2025.
What is the lowest annual number of objects launched into space recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 1 objects in 1970.
How does China rank for annual number of objects launched into space?
China ranks 2nd out of 50 countries with data for 2025.
Is annual number of objects launched into space rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 884.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual number of objects launched into space. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 50 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Annual number of objects launched into space
Unit
objects
Source
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
52 places, 979 data points, 1957–2025
Last refreshed

Annual number of satellites, probes, landers, crewed spacecrafts, and space station flight elements, launched into Earth orbit or beyond.