China vs United Kingdom: Merchandise imports
Merchandise imports over time
- China
- United Kingdom
How they compare
China currently reports 2.58 trillion current US$ against 948.64 billion current US$ in United Kingdom, a difference of 1.63 trillion current US$.
That makes China's figure about 2.7 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United Kingdom ahead.
China ranks 2nd and United Kingdom ranks 4th of 206 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.98 billion current US$ | 15.82 billion current US$ | 13.84 billion current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 6.87 billion current US$ | 51.38 billion current US$ | 44.51 billion current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 35.28 billion current US$ | 129.95 billion current US$ | 94.66 billion current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 113.65 billion current US$ | 260.61 billion current US$ | 146.96 billion current US$ | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 628.38 billion current US$ | 487.89 billion current US$ | 140.50 billion current US$ | China |
| 2010s | 1.82 trillion current US$ | 660.87 billion current US$ | 1.16 trillion current US$ | China |
| 2020s | 2.53 trillion current US$ | 786.22 billion current US$ | 1.74 trillion current US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher merchandise imports, China or United Kingdom?
- China, at 2.58 trillion current US$ against 948.64 billion current US$ in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in merchandise imports between China and United Kingdom?
- 1.63 trillion current US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and United Kingdom rank globally for merchandise imports?
- China ranks 2nd and United Kingdom ranks 4th of 206 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Trade Organization (WTO), published as Merchandise imports (current US$). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Merchandise imports includes goods whose economic ownership is changed from a non-resident to a resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e. 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.