Briefing Rooms

China: Basic Information


Overview Basic Information Trade Policy Recommended Readings Recommended Data Related Links

China is the world's most populous country and one of the largest producers and consumers of agricultural products. China's population is over 4 times that of the United States, but its cropland area is only 75 percent of the U.S. total. China uses intensive farming practices to produce large amounts of food and fiber from limited supplies of land, water, and other natural resources. The value of China's agricultural output is about twice the U.S. total. China is one of the world's leading importers of agricultural products, but it is also a major exporter of many agricultural commodities

Maps—University of Texas collection.

More information on China's food and agriculture:

China at a Glance: A Statistical Overview of China's Food and Agriculture(April 2002). A profile of one of the world's largest agricultural economies.
China's Food and Agriculture in the 21st Century (April 2002). Issues and trends related to China's food and agriculture as it enters the 21st century.
China agricultural and economic data. A database containing official Chinese statistics collected by ERS on agricultural production, food consumption, price indexes, macroeconomic data, and industrial output.
Agricultural trade. A description of China's imports and exports of food and agricultural products and the role it plays in commodity markets.

China-United States statistical comparison

Item	China	United States
Population, 2007 (million) 1/	1,321	304
Cropland, 2007 (million acres) 1/	301	406
Cropland per agricultural worker, 2007 (acres) 2/	1	194
Agricultural gross receipts, 2007 (billion dollars) 3/	643	341
Gross Domestic Product from agriculture, forestry and fisheries, 2007 (billion dollars)	370	161
Agricultural exports, 2008 (billion dollars) 4/	29	115
Agricultural imports, 2008 (billion dollars) 4/	57	81

1/Census data.
2/ Calculations based on census data and labor force statistics on employment in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
3/ Gross value of crop and livestock receipts. China value converted to U.S. dollars at the official exchange rate.
4/ U.S. data from USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service and China customs data analyzed by ERS. Data are for calendar years.

For more information, contact: Fred Gale

Web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov

Updated date: March 12, 2009