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China vs United States

On research quality in 2022–now, China ranks #1 in the world and the United States #2, of 192 countries. China stands higher in 13 of the 26 fields both publish in, the United States in 13.

China

World rank, 2022–now
#1
#2 all time
Works, 2022–now
3.9M
fractional
Top-10% rate
22.8%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
30%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: General Engineering, Catalysis, Acoustics and Ultrasonics.

United States

World rank, 2022–now
#2
#1 all time
Works, 2022–now
3.1M
fractional
Top-10% rate
17.5%
share of its work among the world’s most cited
Open access
33%
of its works free to read

Strongest relative focus: Library and Information Sciences, Transplantation, General Psychology.

Who leads in each field?

China stands higher in 13 of 26 fields, United States in 13. Each bar is that side’s standing among all countries ranked in the field: the full bar is first place.

China 1313 United States
  1. #1Agricultural and Biological Sciences#2
  2. #5Arts and Humanities#1
  3. #2Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology#1
  4. #1Business, Management and Accounting#2
  5. #1Chemical Engineering#2
  6. #1Chemistry#2
  7. #1Computer Science#2
  8. #2Decision Sciences#1
  9. #2Dentistry#1
  10. #1Earth and Planetary Sciences#2
  11. #1Economics, Econometrics and Finance#2
  12. #1Energy#2
  13. #1Engineering#2
  14. #1Environmental Science#2
  15. #2Health Professions#1
  16. #2Immunology and Microbiology#1
  17. #1Materials Science#2
  18. #1Mathematics#2
  19. #2Medicine#1
  20. #2Neuroscience#1
  21. #2Nursing#1
  22. #2Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics#1
  23. #1Physics and Astronomy#2
  24. #2Psychology#1
  25. #2Social Sciences#1
  26. #5Veterinary#1

Standing is the percentile of world rank within each field, 2022–now; the printed number is the rank itself. A dash means the field is too small there to rank. How sides are compared.

How has their output grown?

500k1M1.5MChina1.1M in 2025United States805k in 20251990200020102020

Fractional works per year. The latest, partial year is left off.

Which publishes more research, China or United States?

China publishes 1.3× as much research as the United States in 2022–now (3.9M against 3.1M fractional works).

Whose research has more impact, China or United States?

22.8% of China's research reaches the world's top 10% most cited, against 17.5% for the United States.

Where does their research happen?

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