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)
- Language
- Chinese
China at human scale
Where does China rank in the world?
Compare China with other countries
Compare China with any country →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).
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 September 2026.