China and Italy
Manufacturing, markets and institutional cooperation shape a relationship with an action plan for 2024–2027. Italy also operates within the European Union's trade framework. The bilateral programme organises sectors and contacts; it does not replace European rules or amount to a military alliance.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07The three-year cooperation plan
The 2024–2027 action plan develops the comprehensive strategic partnership and organises areas of political and economic dialogue.
Manufacturing and business activity
The plan addresses industrial cooperation, trade and investment alongside business contacts.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 76,187.91 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: China to Italy | 51,250.77 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: Italy to China | 24,937.14 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: China to Italy | 1.36 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Export share: Italy to China | ||
| Investment stock: China in Italy | ||
| Investment stock: Italy 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 Italy
- 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: Italy 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 Italy
- 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 | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 19.5 trillion USD2025 · WB | 2.55 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 13,861.97 USD2025 · WB | 43,308.64 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.96 %2025 · WB | 0.54 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 1.4 %2026-09-24 · PBoC | 2.5 %2026-09-16 · BCE |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.06 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 1.53 %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 | 6.39 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -3.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 99.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 137.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 3.77 %2025 · WB | 1.15 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 · WB | 58,915,656World Bank est.2025 · WB |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 302,070 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 BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChina: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)China: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- 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.Italy: 2026-09-16 · ECB: deposit facility; shared euro-area rate · European Central Bank · ECB deposit facility rate, shared by euro-area members; not an independent national rate.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)China: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankItaly: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- 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.Italy: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate; percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Italy: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Italy: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · WEO general-government estimate, % of GDP. Not an observed balance for the current month.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChina: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleChina: 2025 · World BankItaly: 2025 · World Bank · World Bank est. · Extrapolated estimate identified by the World Bank; not a census for the reference year.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChina: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOItaly: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series. Observation year, not download date.
- 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 Italy
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 10,090.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 8,968.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 3,948.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 669.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 74.4 M USD2025 · Source |
Italy to China
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 4,581.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 3,395.8 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 2,191.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 578.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 27.6 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 Italy | ||
| Residents from Italy living in China | ||
| Study and training: China in Italy | ||
| Study and training: Italy in China | ||
| Academic stays: China in Italy | ||
| Academic stays: Italy in China | ||
| Travel: China to Italy | ||
| Travel: Italy 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.
The three-year cooperation plan
The 2024–2027 action plan develops the comprehensive strategic partnership and organises areas of political and economic dialogue. It is a tool for priorities and follow-up, not a single investment project. Government meetings and sectoral mechanisms have different tasks. Its commitments must be read within the programme period, not as results already completed. [1]
Manufacturing and business activity
The plan addresses industrial cooperation, trade and investment alongside business contacts. Goods values reveal shipments between markets, while the establishment of factories or affiliates requires its own capital and production data. A country can export machinery and import manufactured goods at the same time. Both directions are retained in the common table, without reducing them to a single economic label. [1]
Scientific and cultural cooperation
Education, science and culture form part of the cooperation programme, with institutions and activities distinct from customs or financial investment. Contacts may encompass exchanges, projects and training. The plan identifies areas of work but does not by itself provide a census of students or visitors. Human indicators require independent counts and retain their own periods. [1]
The scale of the two economies
China recorded nominal GDP of 19,498 billion USD in 2025, compared with 2,551.6 in 2025 for Italy. The reference populations were 1,406.59 million (2025) and 58.92 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, China's nominal GDP was 7.64 times Italy'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. [3] [4] [5] [6]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
The 2024–2027 horizon
The programme is the documented bilateral reference for those years. Its existence allows priorities to be identified and fulfilment to be assessed later, not general implementation to be asserted. The profile compares the latest available economic data with this institutional framework. Trade-access decisions falling to the EU and Italian cooperation agreements retain different authorities and legal scopes. [1]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between China and Italy totalled 76,187.9 million USD. Shipments from China to Italy were 51,250.8 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 24,937.1 million USD. China's shipments to the partner represented 1.36% 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. [2]
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.
- Italy–China action plan 2024–2027
Italian Government · Institutional source · Document: 2024 · 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; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; ISO and reference year; no military dataset expansion
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 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 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 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.