China: Adjusted net national income per capita (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, China's adjusted net national income per capita (current US$) rose US$1,505 on 2020 (from US$7,510 to US$9,015).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was +US$241.33 and a typical year strayed about US$224.32 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 5.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was US$1,505 in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was US$28.14 in 1987. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$407.4 a year. A straight line explains 95% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about US$9,788 for 2024. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2019 to 2021 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was US$444.17, against US$666.78 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2021, China had the 52nd highest value of the 167 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to China in the 2021 ranking

• Chile — 48th of 167: US$11,117
• Bulgaria — 49th of 167: US$10,690
• Argentina — 50th of 167: US$9,092
• Russian Federation — 52nd of 167: US$8,993
• Montenegro — 53rd of 167: US$8,404
• Maldives — 54th of 167: US$8,388

What this measures

Adjusted net national income is GNI minus consumption of fixed capital and natural resources depletion. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 52 values

Adjusted net national income per capita (current US$) in nearby economies

• Australia — US$45,711 (2021)
• Brunei Darussalam — US$22,736 (2021)
• Cambodia — US$1,344 (2021)
• Fiji — US$3,782 (2021)
• Indonesia — US$3,189 (2021)
• Japan — US$30,520 (2021)
• Kiribati — US$2,802 (2021)
• Korea, Rep. — US$28,059 (2021)
• Lao PDR — US$1,838 (2021)
• Malaysia

More economic policy & debt data for China

• Exports of goods and services (current US$) — US$4.11 trillion (2025)
• Exports of goods and services (current LCU) — 29.54 trillion (2025)
• Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 21.07% (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current US$) — US$3.29 trillion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (current LCU) — 23.67 trillion (2025)
• Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) — 16.89% (2025)
• External balance on goods and services (current US$) — US$816.19 billion (2025)
• External balance on goods and services (current LCU) — 5.87 trillion (2025)
• External balance on goods and services (% of GDP) — 4.19% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is China's adjusted net national income per capita (current US$)?

US$9,015 in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 8,622% from US$103.36 in 1970 (9.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$9,015 in 2021 and the lowest US$103.36 in 1970.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.ADJ.NNTY.PC.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); The Changing Wealth of Nations: Measuring Sustainable Development in the New Millennium, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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