While still a developing country in many respects, China has emerged as an economic super-power during the 1990s. Its gross national product-when adjusted to U.S. purchasing power-has passed Japan's and is second only to that of the United States. Per capita production and consumption figures, however, trail those of the United States. By 2010, China may have the world's largest economy.

	U.S.		China
Area in square miles:	3,787,428		3,696,100
Population:	265 million		1.2 billion
Population per square mile:	70.3		326
Percent of world population:	5		22
1995 gross national product:	$6.7 trillion		$3 trillion
Average economic growth rate in past decade:	2.4%		9.6%

Since the mid-1980s, China has produced more grain each year than the U.S. . . . OVERALL ANNUAL GRAIN HARVESTS In millions of tons China's grain production is more stable because it has 2.5 times as much land under irrigation as the U.S.		. . . and consumes more red meat (including pork) than the U.S. ANNUAL RED MEAT CONSUMPTION In millions of tons Per capita Chinese beef consumption lags behind the U.S.: 8.8 pounds per person to the U.S.'s 99 pounds. But pork consumption per person is about equal.		Since 1985, China has used more fertilizer than the U.S. ANNUAL FERTILIZER USE In millions of tons While U.S. fertilizer use leveled off in the 1980s, it rose rapidly in China.
SOURCE: World Watch Institute

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