Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) in China
China: Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) was 46.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Claims on central government, etc. in China, 1977–2024
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for claims on central government, etc. in China is 46.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.
The figure is up 13.8% on the previous year and up 447.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, claims on central government, etc. in China peaked at 46.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, -12.4%, in 1978.
That places China 11th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) in China, year by year
| Year | % GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | -12.3% | — |
| 1978 | -12.4% | +0.7% |
| 1979 | -1.4% | -88.5% |
| 1980 | 0.2% | -112.5% |
| 1981 | -0.5% | -381.1% |
| 1982 | -0.1% | -79.3% |
| 1983 | 0.1% | -194.0% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | +1230.6% |
| 1985 | -1.0% | -178.6% |
| 1986 | 0.6% | -155.1% |
| 1987 | 1.7% | +202.5% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | +17.8% |
| 1989 | 1.4% | -28.7% |
| 1990 | 2.2% | +55.3% |
| 1991 | 2.6% | +18.5% |
| 1992 | 3.7% | +40.4% |
| 1993 | 3.3% | -10.7% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | -17.5% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 3.0% | +11.7% |
| 1997 | 2.0% | -33.3% |
| 1998 | 5.6% | +180.0% |
| 1999 | 6.4% | +14.0% |
| 2000 | 5.8% | -9.8% |
| 2001 | 9.8% | +69.4% |
| 2002 | 10.8% | +10.1% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | -12.5% |
| 2004 | 9.5% | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 8.0% | -15.9% |
| 2006 | 6.9% | -13.8% |
| 2007 | 10.3% | +49.2% |
| 2008 | 9.1% | -11.8% |
| 2009 | 9.2% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 8.3% | -9.9% |
| 2011 | 8.5% | +3.5% |
| 2012 | 9.3% | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | -12.2% |
| 2014 | 8.4% | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 14.0% | +66.7% |
| 2016 | 21.3% | +52.4% |
| 2017 | 24.2% | +13.4% |
| 2018 | 26.9% | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 28.8% | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 32.9% | +14.0% |
| 2021 | 32.8% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 36.5% | +11.1% |
| 2023 | 40.4% | +10.8% |
| 2024 | 46.0% | +13.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 46.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.6%, 5.3× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- China's 46.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.7%, 8.1× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | +1230.6% | 0.1% | 1.3% |
| 1981 | -381.1% | 0.2% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -8.7% | -12.4% | -1.4% | 3 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | -1.0% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.4% | 2.0% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.9% | 5.8% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.8% | 8.1% | 28.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 37.7% | 32.8% | 46.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More financial sector data for China
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 14.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 7.95 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 9.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 5.8 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 14.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 7.95 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 9.09 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is claims on central government, etc. in China?
- Claims on central government, etc. in China was 46.0% in 2024, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest claims on central government, etc. recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 46.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest claims on central government, etc. recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -12.4% in 1978.
- How does China rank for claims on central government, etc.?
- China ranks 11th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is claims on central government, etc. rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 447.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Claims on central government, etc. (% GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 48 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Claims on central government include loans to central government institutions net of deposits. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.