China vs United States: Population, total
China
1.41 billion
in 2025
United States
341.79 million
in 2025
China rank
2nd
United States rank
3rd
Population, total over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 1.41 billion against 341.79 million in United States, a difference of 1.06 billion.
That makes China's figure about 4.1 times United States's.
Across all 66 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 218 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 7 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 714.95 million | 192.50 million | 522.45 million | China |
| 1970s | 901.94 million | 215.03 million | 686.92 million | China |
| 1980s | 1.05 billion | 236.96 million | 809.64 million | China |
| 1990s | 1.20 billion | 264.54 million | 932.30 million | China |
| 2000s | 1.30 billion | 294.37 million | 1.00 billion | China |
| 2010s | 1.37 billion | 320.31 million | 1.05 billion | China |
| 2020s | 1.41 billion | 336.04 million | 1.07 billion | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, total, China or United States?
- China, at 1.41 billion against 341.79 million in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population, total between China and United States?
- 1.06 billion, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for population, total?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 3rd of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Population, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.