⌛ Then vs now
How has China changed since 1990?
1990 then 2026 latest dataPeople in China now live 9.8 years longer than in 1990.
Land
Farmland
47.1% in 1990, 41.7% in 2024.
People
Population
1.14 billion in 1990, 1.41 billion in 2025.
Fertility rate
2.51 children per woman in 1990, 1.01 children per woman in 2024.
Median age
23.7 years in 1990, 39.1 years in 2023.
Aged 65 and over
5.4% in 1990, 14.9% in 2025.
Money
GDP per person (PPP)
Int$991 in 1990, Int$29,300 in 2025.
Economy size (GDP)
$362 billion in 1990, $19.5 trillion in 2025.
Unemployment
2.4% in 1991, 4.6% in 2025.
Military spending
2.5% in 1990, 1.7% in 2025.
Extreme poverty ($3.00 a day)
83.1% in 1990, 0% in 2022.
Health
Life expectancy
68.2 years in 1990, 78 years in 2024.
Infant mortality
43.3 per 1,000 in 1990, 4.1 per 1,000 in 2024.
Adult obesity
1.1% in 1990, 9.1% in 2024.
Hospital beds
2.6 per 1,000 in 1990, 5.6 per 1,000 in 2023.
Everyday life
Meat supply
24 kg in 1990, 73.5 kg in 2023.
Daily calories
2,530 kcal in 1990, 3,530 kcal in 2023.
Years of schooling
4.1 years in 1990, 8 years in 2023.
Working hours
2,250 hours in 1990, 2,330 hours in 2023.
Olympic medals (all time)
60 in 1990, 819 in 2026.
Connected
Urban population
26% in 1990, 66% in 2025.
Internet users
0% in 1990, 92% in 2025.
Mobile subscriptions
0.0016 in 1990, 132 in 2024.
Planet
CO₂ per person
2.2 t in 1990, 8.7 t in 2024.
Forest cover
16.7% in 1990, 24% in 2024.
Renewable electricity
20.4% in 1990, 37% in 2025.