China vs Japan: Inflation Comparison

Compare cumulative inflation, annual rates and purchasing power between China and Japan from 2000 to 2026, based on World Bank CPI data.

Cumulative inflation in China was 42.1% between 2000 and 2026, according to World Bank CPI data (FP.CPI.TOTL).

Over the same period, cumulative inflation in Japan was 11.4%.

VS

China

CNY
+42.1% Total Inflation
1.41% Avg Annual Rate
-29.6% Purchasing Power Lost
VS

Japan

JPY
+11.4% Total Inflation
0.45% Avg Annual Rate
-10.3% Purchasing Power Lost
🏆
Japan had lower cumulative inflation — 30.6 percentage points less than the other country.

CPI Comparison Chart

Year-by-Year Comparison

Year China CPI China (Change) Japan CPI Japan (Change)
2000 80.97 - 102.67 -
2001 81.55 +0.7% 101.91 -0.7%
2002 80.96 -0.7% 100.97 -0.9%
2003 81.87 +1.1% 100.71 -0.3%
2004 85.00 +3.8% 100.70 0.0%
2005 86.51 +1.8% 100.41 -0.3%
2006 87.94 +1.6% 100.66 +0.2%
2007 92.17 +4.8% 100.72 +0.1%
2008 97.63 +5.9% 102.12 +1.4%
2009 96.92 -0.7% 100.73 -1.4%
2010 100.00 +3.2% 100.00 -0.7%
2011 105.55 +5.6% 99.73 -0.3%
2012 108.32 +2.6% 99.68 0.0%
2013 111.16 +2.6% 100.02 +0.3%
2014 113.29 +1.9% 102.78 +2.8%
2015 114.92 +1.4% 103.59 +0.8%
2016 117.22 +2.0% 103.46 -0.1%
2017 119.09 +1.6% 103.96 +0.5%
2018 121.56 +2.1% 104.99 +1.0%
2019 125.08 +2.9% 105.48 +0.5%
2020 111.50 -10.9% 101.09 -4.2%
2021 113.11 +1.4% 101.30 +0.2%
2022 115.12 +1.8% 107.84 +6.5%
2023 114.78 -0.3% 111.36 +3.3%
2024 114.89 +0.1% 114.41 +2.7%
2025 115.03 +0.1% - -

Inflation by Decade: China vs Japan

Year-by-year CPI and inflation for China and Japan, 2000–2026
Year China (Total Inflation) China (Avg Annual Rate) Japan (Total Inflation) Japan (Avg Annual Rate)
1960s - - +61.1% 5.44%
1970s - - +119.1% 9.11%
1980s +50.7% 14.64% +18.9% 1.94%
1990s +99.5% 7.98% +9.3% 1.00%
2000s +19.7% 2.02% -1.9% -0.21%
2010s +25.1% 2.52% +5.5% 0.60%
2020s +3.2% 0.63% +13.2% 3.14%

The inflation gap between China and Japan widened to 30.6 percentage points from 2000 to 2026.

¥100 in China in 2000 lost roughly the same relative value as ¥78.45 in Japan.

China's highest annual inflation was 5.9% in 2008; Japan's was 6.5% in 2022.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which had higher inflation, China or Japan?

Between 2000 and 2026, China had higher cumulative inflation (42.06%) than Japan (11.44%), according to World Bank CPI data.

What was cumulative inflation in China from 2000 to 2026?

Prices in China rose 42.06% cumulatively, an average of 1.41% per year.

What was cumulative inflation in Japan from 2000 to 2026?

Prices in Japan rose 11.44% cumulatively, an average of 0.45% per year.

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Calculate Individually

Between 2000 and 2026, Japan had lower cumulative inflation (11.4%) than China (42.1%).