invention
China is credited with four great ancient inventions — papermaking, printing, gunpowder, and the compass — that transformed the rest of the world.
China
People's Republic of China
Population, GDP, and key facts about China — updated for 2026.
Capital · BEIJINGContinent · ASIAISO · CHN
China quick facts
- Population
- 1,408,975,000
- Area
- 9,562,910 km²
- Population density
- 150 people/km²
- GDP
- US$ 18.7 Trillion
- GDP per capita
- US$ 13.3K
- Capital
- Beijing
- Currency
- Chinese yuan (¥, CNY)
- Minimum wage
- US$ 268.2/month · ¥ 1,930/month (2024)
- Language
- Chinese
China at human scale
Where does China rank in the world?
Compare China with other countries
Compare China with any country →China's war history
- Government of ChinavsGovernment of Vietnam (North Vietnam)
- Government of ChinavsGovernment of India
- Government of ChinavsTibet
- Government of ChinavsGovernment of Taiwan
- Government of ChinavsTaiwanese insurgents
- Government of ChinavsPLA
InterstateIntrastate
Wars that reached at least 1,000 battle-related deaths in a year, since 1946 — not a full record of every armed conflict China has had. Source: UCDP/PRIO Armed Conflict Dataset.
See every war since 1946 on the War Timeline →China's energy mix
Fossil fuels · 58%Nuclear · 5%Renewables · 37%
- Coal54%
- Hydropower13%
- Solar11%
- Wind11%
- Nuclear5%
- Natural gas3%
- Bioenergy2%
- Oil1%
Share of China's own electricity generation by source, 2025. Source: Our World in Data (Ember Yearly Electricity Data and the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy).
Everything we know about China
history
The Great Wall of China is not one continuous wall but a network of walls and fortifications built over centuries by different dynasties, stretching more than 21,000 km in total.
Countries near China
How many countries do you think China could fit?
Pour other countries into China's own outline, by real area, and see how many it takes to fill it up.
Fill the Country →Frequently asked questions about China
What is the capital of China?
The capital of China is Beijing.
What is China's population?
China has a population of 1,408,975,000.
What is China's GDP per capita?
China's GDP per capita is US$ 13.3K.
What is the currency of China?
The currency of China is the Chinese yuan (CNY).
What is the minimum wage in China?
China's statutory minimum wage is about US$ 268.2 per month (as of 2024) — ¥ 1,930 per month in local currency.
Is China bigger than Japan?
China is about 25× the size of Japan by land area.
Think you can guess China from its silhouette?
China is one of the countries in our daily silhouette-guessing game.
Play Guess the Country →Data from the World Bank, updated November 2026.