Australia and China Economies: A Side-by-Side Table Comparison

Australia and China present a striking contrast across key indicators. China’s population is 54 times larger, and its GDP dwarfs Australia’s by over 10 times. While Australia enjoys a higher GDP per capita, China leads in military spending and exports. Australia’s imports are just a fraction of China’s, reflecting distinct economic profiles.

Basic Indicators

Indicator	Australia	China	Comparison
Population source (2022 data), updated 2024	26.01 million (54th)	1412.18 million (2nd)	China’s population is approximately 54 times larger than Australia’s.
Surface area (sq. km) source (2022 data), updated 2024	7.74 million sq. km (6th)	9.56 million sq. km (4th)	China is 1.24 times larger than Australia in area.
GDP source (2022 data), updated 2024	1,692.96B USD (12th)	17,963.17B USD (2nd)	China’s total GDP is approximately 10.6 times larger than Australia’s.
GDP per capita source (2022 data), updated 2024	$65,100 (13th)	12,720 USD (67th)	Australia’s GDP per capita is roughly 82% higher than China’s, with Australians producing about $52,379 more per person annually.

Economic Indexes

Index	Australia	China	Comparison
HDI (Human Development Index) source (2022 data), updated 2024	0.946 (10th)	0.788 (71st)	Australia’s HDI is 0.946 (very high), while China’s is 0.788 (high). Australia’s score is 0.158 higher, indicating significantly better human development overall.
Index of Economic Freedom source (2024 data)	76.2 (12th)	48.5 (138th)	Australia’s Index of Economic Freedom is 57.7% higher than China’s, 27.7 points more.
GINI source (2022 data), updated 2024	34.3 (2018 est.)	37.1 (2020 est.)	With a 10% higher Gini coefficient, China has a higher degree of income inequality than Australia.

International trade _{source(2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	China
Total imports	363.57B USD	3.13T
Imports % of GDP	19.71%	17.47%
Main import partners	China 28%, US 10%, South Korea 6%, Japan 6%, Singapore 5%	US 7%, South Korea 7%, Japan 6%, Australia 6%, China 6%
Main import items	refined petroleum, cars, garments, trucks, plastic products	crude petroleum, integrated circuits, iron ore, natural gas, gold
Total exports	447.51B USD	3.51T
Exports % of GDP	25.43%	20.68%
Main export Partners	China 29%, Japan 19%, South Korea 10%, India 7%, Taiwan 6%	US 15%, Hong Kong 7%, Japan 5%, Germany 4%, South Korea 4%
Main export items	coal, iron ore, natural gas, gold, wheat	broadcasting equipment, integrated circuits, computers, garments, machine parts

Australia’s imports are about one-tenth of China’s, and Australia imports 12.93% more of its GDP than China does. Australia’s exports are much smaller at $447.51B, focusing on raw materials, while China’s $3.51T exports are high-tech and diverse.

Military Power _{source (2023 data), updated 2024}

Indicator	Australia	China
Military expenditure	32.3B USD	296.4B USD
Military expenditure (% of GDP)	1.90%	1.60%
Active military	59k	2.03M
Active military per 1,000 capita	3.8	2.1

Australia’s military expenditure is significantly smaller at $32.34 billion, accounting for 1.90% of its GDP, while China’s military budget is substantially larger at $296.44 billion, representing 1.60% of its GDP.