China: Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, China's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 1.7% on 2024 (from US$45.87 billion to US$46.63 billion).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2024), the average change was +19.9% and a typical year strayed about 23.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 88.6% in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 22.7% in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$2.41 billion a year. A straight line explains 83% 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.

How it compares

In 2025, China had the 3rd highest value of the 117 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 2025 ranking

• Ireland — 1st of 117: US$209.48 billion
• United States — 2nd of 117: US$61.41 billion
• Netherlands — 4th of 117: US$43.47 billion
• Switzerland — 5th of 117: US$38.94 billion
• Japan — 6th of 117: US$34.78 billion

What this measures

Charges for the use of proprietary rights (such as patents, trademarks, copyrights, industrial processes and designs including trade secrets, franchises), and charges for licenses to reproduce or distribute (or both) intellectual property embodied in produced originals or prototypes (such as copyrights on books and manuscripts, computer software, cinematographic works, and sound recordings) and related rights (such as for live performances and television, cable, or satellite broadcast). 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 sum.

All 29 values

Charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) in nearby economies

• Australia — US$12.4 billion (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — US$22.15 million (2025)
• Cambodia — US$129.27 million (2025)
• Fiji — US$1.66 million (2024)
• French Polynesia — US$3.33 million (2016)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — US$1.65 billion (2024)
• Indonesia — US$2.49 billion (2025)
• Japan — US$34.78 billion (2025)

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

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Questions people ask

What is China's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$)?

US$46.63 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1997?

It is up 8,487% from US$543 million in 1997 (17.24% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$46.89 billion in 2021 and the lowest US$420 million in 1998.

How does China rank?

3rd highest of 117 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) unusual for China?

In 2025, China's charges for the use of intellectual property, payments (BoP, current US$) rose 1.7% on 2024 (from US$45.87 billion to US$46.63 billion). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2024), the average change was +19.9% and a typical year strayed about 23.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator BM.GSR.ROYL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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