China and Iran
Cooperation and economic exchange coexist with sanctions and regional conflicts. China maintained dialogue with Iran during the 2026 hostilities. Its diplomatic positions are not defence guarantees and do not by themselves confirm every trade operation or technology transfer.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07China's published position
In March 2026, the Chinese minister called for the fighting to stop and peace to be restored in the Middle East.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 9,964.48 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: China to Iran | 6,930.59 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: Iran to China | 3,033.89 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: China to Iran | 0.18 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Export share: Iran to China | ||
| Investment stock: China in Iran | ||
| Investment stock: Iran in China |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: China to Iran
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Iran to China
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: China to Iran
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods share: CHN exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | China | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 19.5 trillion USD2025 · WB | 362.68 billion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 13,861.97 USD2025 · WB | 3,924.38 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.96 %2025 · WB | -2.83 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 1.4 %2026-09-24 · PBoC | |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.06 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 42.17 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 0.8 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · NBS China | |
| Unemployment | 4.62 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 8.3 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -5.7 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 99.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 37.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 3.77 %2025 · WB | 0.6 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 · WB | 92,417,6812025 · WB |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 1,745,150 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDChina: 2025 · World BankIran: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChina: 2025 · World BankIran: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)China: 2025 · World BankIran: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)China: 2026-09-24 · PBoC: 7-day reverse repo · People’s Bank of China · Published: 2026-09-24 · Rate of the official operation consulted, not the mortgage LPR or the PSL lending rate. Subsequent operations with zero volume are not converted into a 0% interest rate.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)China: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankIran: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedChina: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · National Bureau of Statistics of China · Published: 2026-09-09 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionChina: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Iran: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Iran: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Iran: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChina: 2025 · World BankIran: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate. The annual reference may follow Iran's fiscal calendar.
- Population
- PeopleChina: 2025 · World BankIran: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChina: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOIran: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
China to Iran
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 1,360 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 1,095.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 1,085.7 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 30.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 21.7 M USD2025 · Source |
Iran to China
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 5.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 1.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 0.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 0.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 0.2 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from China living in Iran | ||
| Residents from Iran living in China | ||
| Study and training: China in Iran | ||
| Study and training: Iran in China | ||
| Academic stays: China in Iran | ||
| Academic stays: Iran in China | ||
| Travel: China to Iran | ||
| Travel: Iran to China |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Dialogue during a regional crisis
Wang Yi and Abbas Araghchi met in Beijing on 6 May 2026. The Chinese statement describes efforts to facilitate talks and promote peace since the start of hostilities. That description is attributed to the ministry rather than presented as an independently established result. The meeting confirms a diplomatic channel, not an obligation to intervene militarily. [1]
China's published position
In March 2026, the Chinese minister called for the fighting to stop and peace to be restored in the Middle East. This is a statement about the conflict, with an identified date and speaker. A diplomatic request does not confirm subsequent compliance with a ceasefire. It must also be distinguished from other states' military operations and businesses' economic decisions. [2]
Trade and exposure to disruptions
The 2025 customs records provide an economic reference preceding the 2026 crisis. They are not converted into an estimate of trade during the war. Financing, transport and legal restrictions may affect operations in different ways; a trade total does not identify every shipment or intermediary. The table retains the reporter and year so that the observation does not appear more recent than it is. [1]
The scale of the two economies
China recorded nominal GDP of 19,498 billion USD in 2025, compared with 362.7 in 2025 for Iran. The reference populations were 1,406.59 million (2025) and 92.42 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, China's nominal GDP was 53.76 times Iran's. These figures contextualise market size; they do not by themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or population extrapolations retain their labels in the table. No ratio is calculated when periods do not match. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The May 2026 discussion
The ministers' meeting addressed the conflict and the bilateral relationship. Its scope is diplomatic: it does not establish delivery of military capabilities or implementation of all economic projects. Readers should distinguish this dialogue from earlier statistics and positions attributed to third parties. Official texts reveal what each government proposed, not automatically confirm every consequence of those proposals. [1] [2]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between China and Iran totalled 9,964.5 million USD. Shipments from China to Iran were 6,930.6 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 3,033.9 million USD. China's shipments to the partner represented 0.18% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs reporting source is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or affiliates' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [3]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- Ministers' discussion in Beijing
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China · Institutional source · Document: 2026-05-06 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- China's position on the war in Iran
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China · Institutional source · Document: 2026-03-08 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 156; partners 0,826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.