China vs United States: Annual precipitation
China
833.24 millimeters
in 2025
United States
810.4 millimeters
in 2025
China rank
113th
United States rank
116th
Annual precipitation over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 833.24 millimeters against 810.4 millimeters in United States, a difference of 22.84 millimeters.
The two have swapped places 28 times across 86 shared years of data; in 1940 it was China ahead.
China ranks 113th and United States ranks 116th of 192 countries.
Across the 9 decades both report, China averaged higher in 6 and United States in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 837.29 millimeters | 795.14 millimeters | 42.14 millimeters | China |
| 1950s | 894.43 millimeters | 781.05 millimeters | 113.38 millimeters | China |
| 1960s | 873.41 millimeters | 762.21 millimeters | 111.2 millimeters | China |
| 1970s | 850.41 millimeters | 807.72 millimeters | 42.69 millimeters | China |
| 1980s | 861.93 millimeters | 855.23 millimeters | 6.71 millimeters | China |
| 1990s | 880.09 millimeters | 858.63 millimeters | 21.45 millimeters | China |
| 2000s | 796.17 millimeters | 797.94 millimeters | 1.76 millimeters | United States |
| 2010s | 797.51 millimeters | 836.5 millimeters | 38.99 millimeters | United States |
| 2020s | 816.27 millimeters | 821.57 millimeters | 5.29 millimeters | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher annual precipitation, China or United States?
- China, at 833.24 millimeters against 810.4 millimeters in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in annual precipitation between China and United States?
- 22.84 millimeters, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 86 years are reported by both, from 1940 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for annual precipitation?
- China ranks 113th and United States ranks 116th of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Annual precipitation. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total annual precipitation—rain and snow—calculated as the sum of daily averages, reported as the depth of water falling to Earth's surface, excluding fog and dew.