East Asia & Pacific · G20
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
32.9%
+21.9 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
8.11%
+6.1 pts since 2005
Healthcare · 2024
Not available
Defence · 2024
1.66%
-0.0 pts since 1995
Education · 2024
Not available
Debt interest · 2024
0.96%
+0.5 pts since 2005
Gross debt · 2025
98.6%
of GDP · +77 pts since 1995
Population · 2025
1406.6m
16.7% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for China yet.
Welfare rose from 2.0% to 8.1% of GDP between 2005 and 2024.
Healthcare rose from 1.0% to 3.4% of GDP between 2000 and 2023.
Defence rose from 1.7% to 2.0% of GDP between 1995 and 2002, then fell to 1.7% by 2025.
Debt interest rose from 0.4% to 1.0% of GDP between 2005 and 2024.
Total spending rose from 11.1% to 34.8% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 32.9% by 2024.
Gross debt rose from 21.4% to 98.6% of GDP between 1995 and 2025.
Population grew from 1204.9 million in 1995 to 1406.6 million in 2025; the UN projects 1242.6 million by 2050.