China's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) was −US$113.76 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 115.53% from −US$52.78 billion in 2015.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | −US$113.76 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | −US$117.61 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | −US$52.78 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | US$28.57 billion | 2008 |
| Lowest | −US$153.22 billion | 2022 |
| Average since 2016 | −US$94.45 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | −US$87.3 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, China's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) rose US$15.02 billion on 2024 (from −US$128.78 billion to −US$113.76 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$4.26 billion and a typical year strayed about US$34.29 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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 US$91.13 billion in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was US$77.6 billion in 2020. 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 downward, about US$12.26 billion a year. A straight line explains 63% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, China had the 157th highest value of the 156 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to China in the 2025 ranking
What this measures
Net primary income includes the net labor income and net property and entrepreneurial income components of the SNA. Labor income covers compensation of employees paid to nonresident workers. Property and entrepreneurial income covers investment income from the ownership of foreign financial claims (interest, dividends, rent, etc.) and nonfinancial property income (patents, copyrights, etc.). This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.
All 45 values
| Year | Net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | -113,760,417,989 |
| 2024 | -128,779,598,335 |
| 2023 | -134,074,007,361 |
| 2022 | -153,218,909,220 |
| 2021 | -124,146,860,548 |
| 2020 | -117,605,767,591 |
| 2019 | -40,009,350,955 |
| 2018 | -61,028,208,013 |
| 2017 | -16,130,189,658 |
| 2016 | -55,700,387,600 |
Net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) in nearby economies
- Australia — −US$50.06 billion (2025)
- Brunei Darussalam — US$486.5 million (2025)
- Cambodia — −US$903.62 million (2025)
- Fiji — −US$370.5 million (2025)
- French Polynesia — US$690.15 million (2024)
- Hong Kong SAR, China — US$42.89 billion (2025)
- Indonesia — −US$38.45 billion (2025)
- Japan — US$255.03 billion (2024)
- Kiribati — US$190.17 million (2025)
More economic policy & debt data for China
- Exports of goods and services (current US$) — 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$816.19 billion (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU) — 5.87 trillion (2025)
- External balance on goods and services (% of GDP) — 4.19% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is China's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$)?
- −US$113.76 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1981?
- It is down 130,207% from −US$87.3 million in 1981. The highest value was US$28.57 billion in 2008 and the lowest −US$153.22 billion in 2022.
- How does China rank?
- 157th highest of 156 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) unusual for China?
- In 2025, China's net primary income (net income from abroad) (current US$) rose US$15.02 billion on 2024 (from −US$128.78 billion to −US$113.76 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −US$4.26 billion and a typical year strayed about US$34.29 billion from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above 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 NY.GSR.NFCY.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs); National Accounts data files, Central Banks; Staff estimates, 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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