Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China

China: Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable was 17.69 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
17.69
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
82nd
of 130 countries
All-time high
17.69
in 2023
All-time low
0.5035
in 1952
Years of data
72
1952–2023

Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China, 1952–2023

05101520195219872023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China is 17.69, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 72 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 81.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China peaked at 17.69 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.5035, in 1952.

That places China 82nd out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China, year by year

Annual values for Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China, 1952 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1952 0.5035 —
1953 0.528 +4.9%
1954 0.5333 +1.0%
1955 0.5313 -0.4%
1956 0.5529 +4.1%
1957 0.5595 +1.2%
1958 0.559 -0.1%
1959 0.52 -7.0%
1960 0.5917 +13.8%
1961 0.5289 -10.6%
1962 0.5504 +4.1%
1963 0.5599 +1.7%
1964 0.6158 +10.0%
1965 0.6761 +9.8%
1966 0.7079 +4.7%
1967 0.6737 -4.8%
1968 0.6251 -7.2%
1969 0.6553 +4.8%
1970 0.6897 +5.3%
1971 0.7125 +3.3%
1972 0.7192 +0.9%
1973 0.7577 +5.4%
1974 0.7572 -0.1%
1975 0.7855 +3.7%
1976 0.7509 -4.4%
1977 0.7927 +5.6%
1978 0.8741 +10.3%
1979 0.897 +2.6%
1980 0.916 +2.1%
1981 0.9019 -1.5%
1982 0.9233 +2.4%
1983 0.9986 +8.2%
1984 1.14 +14.2%
1985 1.29 +13.0%
1986 1.35 +4.5%
1987 1.43 +6.5%
1988 1.53 +6.6%
1989 1.52 -0.4%
1990 1.53 +0.1%
1991 1.65 +7.9%
1992 1.87 +13.7%
1993 2.11 +12.9%
1994 2.31 +9.5%
1995 2.5 +8.3%
1996 2.73 +8.9%
1997 2.86 +4.8%
1998 3.03 +5.9%
1999 3.25 +7.4%
2000 3.5 +7.7%
2001 3.76 +7.4%
2002 4.04 +7.4%
2003 4.39 +8.8%
2004 4.85 +10.5%
2005 5.27 +8.6%
2006 5.68 +7.8%
2007 6.49 +14.2%
2008 7.1 +9.4%
2009 7.62 +7.3%
2010 8.04 +5.6%
2011 8.91 +10.8%
2012 9.5 +6.6%
2013 9.73 +2.4%
2014 10.33 +6.1%
2015 10.87 +5.2%
2016 11.4 +5.0%
2017 12.22 +7.2%
2018 13.14 +7.5%
2019 14.17 +7.9%
2020 15.13 +6.8%
2021 16.5 +9.0%
2022 16.9 +2.4%
2023 17.69 +4.7%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 17.69 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 20.42, 87% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • China's 17.69 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 24.39, 73% of the median. (14 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 0.5359 0.5035 0.5595 8
1960s 0.6185 0.5289 0.7079 10
1970s 0.7736 0.6897 0.897 10
1980s 1.2 0.9019 1.53 10
1990s 2.38 1.53 3.25 10
2000s 5.27 3.5 7.62 10
2010s 10.83 8.04 14.17 10
2020s 16.56 15.13 17.69 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 79 Venezuela 18.44 compare
  2. 80 Botswana 18.36 compare
  3. 81 Albania 17.84 compare
  4. 83 Moldova 17.57 compare
  5. 84 Sri Lanka 17.55 compare
  6. 85 Tunisia 16.8 compare

See the full ranking of 130 places →

More work & labour data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China?
Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China was 17.69 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor productivity per hour pennworldtable recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 17.69 in 2023.
What is the lowest labor productivity per hour pennworldtable recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5035 in 1952.
How does China rank for labor productivity per hour pennworldtable?
China ranks 82nd out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
Is labor productivity per hour pennworldtable rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 81.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-productivity-per-hour-pennworldtable/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor productivity per hour pennworldtable
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
130 places, 4,965 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed