Merchandise imports in China
China: Merchandise imports was 2.58 trillion current US$ in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
2.58 trillion current US$
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
2nd
of 206 countries
All-time high
2.71 trillion current US$
in 2022
All-time low
1.37 billion current US$
in 1962
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Merchandise imports in China, 1960–2025
Source: World Trade Organization (WTO). Measured in current US$.
Analysis
China recorded 2.58 trillion current US$ for merchandise imports in 2025.
The figure is up 53.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, merchandise imports in China peaked at 2.71 trillion current US$ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 1.37 billion current US$, in 1962.
China ranks 2nd of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Merchandise imports in China, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.65 billion current US$ | — |
| 1961 | 1.75 billion current US$ | -34.0% |
| 1962 | 1.37 billion current US$ | -21.4% |
| 1963 | 1.45 billion current US$ | +5.6% |
| 1964 | 1.71 billion current US$ | +17.9% |
| 1965 | 2.25 billion current US$ | +31.3% |
| 1966 | 2.48 billion current US$ | +10.5% |
| 1967 | 2.17 billion current US$ | -12.6% |
| 1968 | 2.07 billion current US$ | -4.7% |
| 1969 | 1.92 billion current US$ | -7.3% |
| 1970 | 2.28 billion current US$ | +18.9% |
| 1971 | 2.13 billion current US$ | -6.6% |
| 1972 | 2.85 billion current US$ | +33.9% |
| 1973 | 5.21 billion current US$ | +82.7% |
| 1974 | 7.79 billion current US$ | +49.6% |
| 1975 | 7.93 billion current US$ | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 6.66 billion current US$ | -16.0% |
| 1977 | 7.15 billion current US$ | +7.3% |
| 1978 | 11.13 billion current US$ | +55.7% |
| 1979 | 15.62 billion current US$ | +40.3% |
| 1980 | 19.94 billion current US$ | +27.7% |
| 1981 | 22.01 billion current US$ | +10.4% |
| 1982 | 19.29 billion current US$ | -12.4% |
| 1983 | 21.39 billion current US$ | +10.9% |
| 1984 | 27.41 billion current US$ | +28.1% |
| 1985 | 42.25 billion current US$ | +54.1% |
| 1986 | 42.90 billion current US$ | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 43.22 billion current US$ | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 55.27 billion current US$ | +27.9% |
| 1989 | 59.14 billion current US$ | +7.0% |
| 1990 | 53.34 billion current US$ | -9.8% |
| 1991 | 63.79 billion current US$ | +19.6% |
| 1992 | 80.58 billion current US$ | +26.3% |
| 1993 | 103.96 billion current US$ | +29.0% |
| 1994 | 115.61 billion current US$ | +11.2% |
| 1995 | 132.08 billion current US$ | +14.2% |
| 1996 | 138.83 billion current US$ | +5.1% |
| 1997 | 142.37 billion current US$ | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 140.24 billion current US$ | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 165.70 billion current US$ | +18.2% |
| 2000 | 225.09 billion current US$ | +35.8% |
| 2001 | 243.55 billion current US$ | +8.2% |
| 2002 | 295.17 billion current US$ | +21.2% |
| 2003 | 412.76 billion current US$ | +39.8% |
| 2004 | 561.23 billion current US$ | +36.0% |
| 2005 | 659.95 billion current US$ | +17.6% |
| 2006 | 791.46 billion current US$ | +19.9% |
| 2007 | 956.12 billion current US$ | +20.8% |
| 2008 | 1.13 trillion current US$ | +18.5% |
| 2009 | 1.01 trillion current US$ | -11.2% |
| 2010 | 1.40 trillion current US$ | +38.8% |
| 2011 | 1.74 trillion current US$ | +24.9% |
| 2012 | 1.82 trillion current US$ | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 1.95 trillion current US$ | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 1.96 trillion current US$ | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 1.68 trillion current US$ | -14.3% |
| 2016 | 1.59 trillion current US$ | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 1.84 trillion current US$ | +16.1% |
| 2018 | 2.14 trillion current US$ | +15.8% |
| 2019 | 2.08 trillion current US$ | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 2.07 trillion current US$ | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 2.68 trillion current US$ | +29.7% |
| 2022 | 2.71 trillion current US$ | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 2.56 trillion current US$ | -5.5% |
| 2024 | 2.58 trillion current US$ | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 2.58 trillion current US$ | -0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 2.58 trillion current US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.19 billion current US$, 142.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 2.58 trillion current US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.62 billion current US$, 559.1× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.98 billion current US$ | 1.37 billion current US$ | 2.65 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.87 billion current US$ | 2.13 billion current US$ | 15.62 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 35.28 billion current US$ | 19.29 billion current US$ | 59.14 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 113.65 billion current US$ | 53.34 billion current US$ | 165.70 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 628.38 billion current US$ | 225.09 billion current US$ | 1.13 trillion current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.82 trillion current US$ | 1.40 trillion current US$ | 2.14 trillion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.53 trillion current US$ | 2.07 trillion current US$ | 2.71 trillion current US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 1 United States 3.51 trillion current US$ compare
- 3 Germany 1.54 trillion current US$ compare
- 4 United Kingdom 948.64 billion current US$ compare
- 5 Netherlands 870.44 billion current US$ compare
More private sector data for China
- Merchandise trade 32.6% (2025)
- Food imports 8.1% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 49.3% (2024)
- Food exports 2.4% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 91.2% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 3.77 trillion 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)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 5.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Merchandise imports (current US$), per capita 1,836 current US$ per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is merchandise imports in China?
- Merchandise imports in China was 2.58 trillion current US$ in 2025, according to World Trade Organization (WTO).
- What is the highest merchandise imports recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.71 trillion current US$ in 2022.
- What is the lowest merchandise imports recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.37 billion current US$ in 1962.
- How does China rank for merchandise imports?
- China ranks 2nd out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is merchandise imports rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 53.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Trade Organization (WTO), published as part of Merchandise imports (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.