Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in China
China: Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) was 90.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Manufactures exports in China, 1984–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
The most recent figure for manufactures exports in China is 90.5%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, manufactures exports in China peaked at 94.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 26.4%, in 1985.
That places China 5th out of 196 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in China, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 47.7% | — |
| 1985 | 26.4% | -44.5% |
| 1986 | 28.8% | +9.2% |
| 1987 | 58.3% | +101.9% |
| 1992 | 78.7% | +35.0% |
| 1993 | 80.6% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 82.3% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 84.0% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 84.3% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 85.3% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 87.4% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 88.3% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 88.2% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 88.6% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 89.9% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 90.6% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 91.4% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 91.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 92.4% | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 93.1% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 93.1% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 93.6% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 93.6% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 93.3% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 94.0% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 94.0% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 94.0% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 94.3% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 93.7% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 93.5% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 93.2% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 92.9% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 93.5% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 93.4% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 92.6% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 91.9% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 91.2% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 90.5% | -0.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 90.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 36.7%, 2.5× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- China's 90.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 39.4%, 2.3× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports) in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +101.9% | 28.8% | 58.3% |
| 1985 | -44.5% | 47.7% | 26.4% |
| 1992 | +35.0% | 58.3% | 78.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 40.3% | 26.4% | 58.3% | 4 |
| 1990s | 83.8% | 78.7% | 88.3% | 8 |
| 2000s | 91.3% | 88.2% | 93.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.7% | 92.9% | 94.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 92.2% | 90.5% | 93.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More private sector data for China
- Merchandise trade 32.6% (2025)
- Food imports 8.0% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 50.9% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 2.58 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 619.60 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 2.3% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 3.77 trillion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 383.15 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 2,682 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1934 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is manufactures exports in China?
- Manufactures exports in China was 90.5% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest manufactures exports recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 94.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest manufactures exports recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.4% in 1985.
- How does China rank for manufactures exports?
- China ranks 5th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is manufactures exports rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Manufactures exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Manufactures comprise commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 5 (chemicals), 6 (basic manufactures), 7 (machinery and transport equipment), and 8 (miscellaneous manufactured goods), excluding division 68 (non-ferrous metals). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-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.