Xi Jinping: the record in figures
Since November 2012 and three terms at the head of the Communist Party, what has improved, what has worsened, and were the official targets met?
Scope: China, from 15 November 2012 to 9 November 2026; comparison with the world over the same periods where a world total exists.
Key points
- An economy more than doubled. Real GDP grows 130% between 2011 and 2025 (world +48%) and GDP per capita 120%, to $25,067 in 2021 purchasing-power-parity dollars; the pace slows term after term (+43%, +34%, then +20% in four years).
- Poverty fell sharply: the share of the population below the $8.30-a-day line goes from 62.1% in 2011 to 21.3% in 2022 (world −10.5 points).
- Public debt tripled as a share of GDP: 33.0% in 2011, 98.6% in 2025 according to the IMF, with a deficit rising from 0.1% to 7.9% of GDP.
- Youth employment worsens since 2021: unemployment of 15-24 year-olds from 12.4% to 15.8% (ILO estimate, falling worldwide), and prices almost flat since 2022 (+1.1% in four years).
- Climate: more emissions, more renewables. Greenhouse gas emissions rise 32% between 2011 and 2025 (world +16%), while the renewables share of electricity goes from 23.5% to 37.3% between 2017 and 2026.
The record in figures, period by period
Pick a period: each indicator is read between the last figure published before the term began and the last one before it ended (or the latest one for a term still running), and compared with the world over exactly the same window.
5 improved, 6 worsened, 0 stable, 1 without value judgement
Not shown, no figure published for this period yet: Renewables share of electricity.
How to read the charts: China (blue) and the world (grey) start from the same point at the beginning of the selected period, 0 for a rate (change in points), 100 for a level. Light line: before the period. Bands: the terms of office.
Economy
- Real GDPImproved+129.8%World: +47.8%
74.8 (2011) → 172.0 (2025)
better than the world · latest published figure
Cumulative growth of real GDP (index 2015 = 100, World Bank, from official Chinese statistics).
- Real GDP per capitaImproved+119.8%World: +33.0%
$11,405 PPP (2011) → $25,067 PPP (2025)
better than the world · latest published figure
In constant purchasing-power-parity dollars.
Jobs
- Unemployment rate (ILO estimate)Worsened+0.1 ptWorld: −1.4 pt
4.6% (2011) → 4.6% (2025)
worse than the world · latest published figure
ILO modelled estimate, annual. China’s official rate (urban surveyed unemployment) only starts in 2018.
See the card: Unemployment rate (ILO)Source: World Bank SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
- Unemployment, aged 15-24 (ILO estimate)Worsened+5.8 ptsWorld: −1.9 pt
10.0% (2011) → 15.8% (2025)
worse than the world · latest published figure
See the card: Youth unemployment (15-24)Source: World Bank SL.UEM.1524.ZS
- Employment rate, aged 15 and overWorsened−6.1 ptsWorld: −0.5 pt
67.6% (2011) → 61.6% (2025)
worse than the world · latest published figure
ILO modelled estimate. Its fall also reflects ageing.
See the card: Employment rate (15-64)Source: World Bank SL.EMP.TOTL.SP.ZS
Prices and purchasing power
- Consumer pricesNo judgement+23.6%World: n/a
94.4 (Oct 2012) → 116.6 (Oct 2026)
latest published figure
Cumulative rise of the consumer price index (OECD, from the National Bureau of Statistics). No comparable world total.
Public finances
- Budget balance (% of GDP)Worsened−7.8 ptsWorld: n/a
−0.1% (2011) → −7.9% (2025)
latest published figure
General government balance according to the IMF (World Economic Outlook), actual years only. Negative = deficit.
- Public debt (% of GDP)Worsened+65.6 ptsWorld: n/a
33.0% (2011) → 98.6% (2025)
latest published figure
General government gross debt according to the IMF, actual years only. It leaves out most of the debt of local government financing vehicles.
Social cohesion and education
- Poverty (upper-middle-income line)Improved−40.8 ptsWorld: −10.5 pts
62.1% (2011) → 21.3% (2022)
better than the world · latest published figure
Share of the population living on less than $8.30 a day (2021 PPP), the World Bank line for upper-middle-income countries.
- Income inequality (Gini index)Improved−6.3 ptsWorld: n/a
42.3 (2011) → 36.0 (2022)
latest published figure
0 = perfect equality, 100 = one household gets everything (World Bank).
- Life expectancy at birthImproved+2.1 yearsWorld: +2.5 years
75.9 years (2011) → 78.0 years (2024)
worse than the world · latest published figure
See the card: Life expectancySource: World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
Climate and energy
- Greenhouse gas emissionsWorsened+32.4%World: +15.9%
12,068 Mt (2011) → 15,981 Mt (2025)
worse than the world · latest published figure
Excluding land use (LULUCF), million tonnes CO₂ equivalent (EDGAR, European Commission, 2026 edition).
Reading: “Improved” / “Worsened” gives the direction of the change for a citizen (less unemployment, more jobs…), not a cause. An indicator whose level is a political choice (spending, revenue) is shown without judgement. A change whose window covers less than half of the span between its two figures is not shown (too early to judge). Sources: World Bank, IMF, OECD, EDGAR, Ember, data extracted on 9 November 2026.
Show the full table of indicators for the selected period
| Indicator | Start of period | End of period | Change | World (same period) | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP | 74.8 (2011) | 172.0 (2025) | +129.8% | +47.8% | Improved |
| Real GDP per capita | $11,405 PPP (2011) | $25,067 PPP (2025) | +119.8% | +33.0% | Improved |
| Unemployment rate (ILO estimate) | 4.6% (2011) | 4.6% (2025) | +0.1 pt | −1.4 pt | Worsened |
| Unemployment, aged 15-24 (ILO estimate) | 10.0% (2011) | 15.8% (2025) | +5.8 pts | −1.9 pt | Worsened |
| Employment rate, aged 15 and over | 67.6% (2011) | 61.6% (2025) | −6.1 pts | −0.5 pt | Worsened |
| Consumer prices | 94.4 (Oct 2012) | 116.6 (Oct 2026) | +23.6% | – | No judgement |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | −0.1% (2011) | −7.9% (2025) | −7.8 pts | – | Worsened |
| Public debt (% of GDP) | 33.0% (2011) | 98.6% (2025) | +65.6 pts | – | Worsened |
| Poverty (upper-middle-income line) | 62.1% (2011) | 21.3% (2022) | −40.8 pts | −10.5 pts | Improved |
| Income inequality (Gini index) | 42.3 (2011) | 36.0 (2022) | −6.3 pts | – | Improved |
| Life expectancy at birth | 75.9 years (2011) | 78.0 years (2024) | +2.1 years | +2.5 years | Improved |
| Greenhouse gas emissions | 12,068 Mt (2011) | 15,981 Mt (2025) | +32.4% | +15.9% | Worsened |
Strengths and weaknesses
What the data say about the whole period (2011 → latest figure), separating what moves faster or slower than in the world. The figures come from the table above.
What improved
- Growth and living standards. GDP +130% and GDP per capita +120% between 2011 and 2025, against +48% and +33% worldwide.
- Poverty and inequality. Poverty at the $8.30 line from 62.1% to 21.3% (2011-2022), Gini index from 42.3 to 36.0.
- Renewables. Their share of electricity generation over twelve months goes from 23.5% to 37.3% (September 2017 → September 2026), +8.5 points in the third term against +5.7 worldwide.
- Life expectancy. 75.9 years in 2011, 78.0 years in 2024 (+2.1 years), more than four years above the world average.
What worsened
- Debt and deficit. Public debt from 33.0% to 98.6% of GDP (2011-2025, IMF), deficit from 0.1% to 7.9%; the rise speeds up in the third term (+26.5 points in four years).
- Jobs. Employment rate of those aged 15 and over from 67.6% to 61.6% (ageing included) and unemployment of 15-24 year-olds from 10.0% to 15.8%, while it falls worldwide.
- Emissions. +32% between 2011 and 2025 (12,068 → 15,981 Mt CO₂ equivalent), twice as fast as the world total (+16%); +5.1% since 2021.
- The slowdown. Cumulative growth goes from +43% in the first term to +20% over the first four years of the third; prices are almost flat since 2022 (+1.1%).
The promises: kept or not?
There is no election campaign in China: the commitments reviewed are the official quantified targets set by the Party Congress reports and the five-year plans adopted by the National People’s Congress, and what became of them according to the official figures cited as sources.
18th Congress (2012) and 13th Five-Year Plan
- Partly keptIncome
Double 2010 GDP and per capita income for both urban and rural residents by 2020 (report to the 18th Party Congress, November 2012).
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, per capita disposable income (32,189 yuan in 2020) rose 100.8% in real terms between 2010 and 2020 (7.2% a year): it doubled. For GDP, the annual growth rates published by the World Bank put real GDP in 2020 at about 1.93 times its 2010 level, as 2020 grew only 2.3% (Covid crisis).[1],[2],[9],[3]
- KeptPoverty
Lift all rural residents below the national poverty line (55.75 million people, a binding target of the 13th Five-Year Plan) and all poor counties out of poverty by 2020.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, 98.99 million rural poor and all poor counties were lifted out of poverty since the 18th Congress (5.51 million in 2020), at the national line of 2,300 yuan per person per year at 2010 prices. The 14th Five-Year Plan states that 55.75 million rural residents were lifted out of poverty during the 13th Plan.[4],[9],[5]
- Not keptGrowth
GDP growth of more than 6.5% a year on average over 2016-2020 (13th Five-Year Plan).
According to World Bank series, growth was 6.8% in 2016, 6.9% in 2017, 6.8% in 2018 and 6.1% in 2019, then 2.3% in 2020 (Covid crisis), about 5.8% a year on average: below the target, which had been on track until 2019.[4],[3],[9]
- Not keptInnovation
- KeptClimate and energy
- KeptClimate and energy
- KeptUrbanisation
Raise the urbanisation rate of the resident population to 60% in 2020 and grant urban residency (hukou) to about 100 million former rural residents and other urban residents without it.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the urbanisation rate of the resident population exceeded 60% at the end of 2020. The 14th Five-Year Plan states that the goal of granting urban residency to 100 million people was met.[4],[9],[5]
19th Congress (2017) and 14th Five-Year Plan
- In progressClimate and energy
“Have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060” (Xi Jinping at the UN General Assembly, 22 September 2020).
Deadlines not yet reached. The March 2026 Government Work Report reaffirms that the peak must be reached before 2030 “as planned”; according to preliminary NBS estimates, CO2 emissions per unit of GDP fell 5.0% in 2025.[8],[16],[14]
- Partly keptJobs
Keep the surveyed urban unemployment rate below 5.5% (14th Five-Year Plan, 2021-2025).
Annual average according to the National Bureau of Statistics: 5.1% in 2021, 5.6% in 2022 (year of lockdowns), 5.2% in 2023, 5.1% in 2024 and 5.2% in 2025. The target was met four years out of five.[6],[10],[11],[12],[13],[14]
- KeptClimate and energy
Cut energy consumption per unit of GDP by 13.5% over 2021-2025 (binding target of the 14th Five-Year Plan).
According to the National Development and Reform Commission, energy intensity fell 11.6% over the first four years of the plan; the 2026 Government Work Report reports a 5.1% drop in 2025 and states that all 20 major targets of the 14th Plan were accomplished.[6],[21],[16]
- Partly keptClimate and energy
Cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 18% over 2021-2025 (binding target of the 14th Five-Year Plan).
According to Carbon Brief, the draft 15th Five-Year Plan reports a 17.7% cut, just short of the 18% target, while the government states that all major 14th Plan targets were accomplished. Researcher Lauri Myllyvirta (CREA), quoted by Carbon Brief, had estimated the cut at 12% and attributes the gap most likely to a revision of the calculation method.[6],[22],[16]
- KeptInnovation
- KeptHealth
- KeptUrbanisation
- KeptEnvironment
- Not keptGrowth
20th Congress (2022) and annual targets
- KeptGrowth
GDP growth of “around 5%” each year in 2023, 2024 and 2025 (Government Work Reports).
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, GDP grew 5.2% in 2023, 5.0% in 2024 and 5.0% in 2025 (140,187.9 billion yuan). Over the whole 14th Plan (2021-2025), growth averaged 5.4% a year according to the government.[18],[19],[20],[12],[13],[14],[16]
- Not keptPrices
A consumer price increase of around 3% in 2023 and 2024, then around 2% in 2025 (Government Work Reports).
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, consumer prices rose 0.2% in 2023 and 0.2% in 2024, then stayed flat in 2025 (0.0%): inflation remained well below the targeted level.[18],[20],[12],[13],[14]
- In progressGrowth
In 2026, the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan: GDP growth of 4.5-5%, a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5% and a price increase of around 2% (Government Work Report, March 2026).
Year under way. Over the first three quarters of 2026, GDP grew 4.6% year on year, urban unemployment averaged 5.2% and consumer prices rose 0.9% (National Bureau of Statistics, October 2026).[16],[15]
- In progressClimate and energy
Cut CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by around 3.8% in 2026 and by 17% in total over 2026-2030 (Government Work Report and draft 15th Five-Year Plan, March 2026).
Target under way, no 2026 result published yet. According to Carbon Brief, the draft 15th Plan sets no absolute emissions cap, which may be announced later in the period.[16],[22]
The context: the events of the period
A record is not read out of context: the events that marked the three terms.
December 2012
The anti-corruption campaign begins
About twenty days after Xi Jinping took over the Party, the Politburo adopted the “Eight-point Regulation” on officials’ conduct; the campaign against “tigers and flies” then targeted hundreds of senior officials, including former Politburo members.[23]
June 12, 2015
The 2015 stock-market crash
A stock-market bubble bursts: A-shares on the Shanghai Stock Exchange lose a third of their value within a month; the turbulence lasts until February 2016.[24]
March 11, 2018
Presidential term limits removed
The National People’s Congress adopts a constitutional amendment (2,958 votes for, 2 against, 3 abstentions) removing the two-consecutive-term limit for the president and vice-president.[25]
July 6, 2018
The trade war with the United States begins
US tariffs on $34bn of Chinese goods come into force; China retaliates with tariffs on a similar value of US goods.[26]
December 2021
Evergrande’s default and the property crisis
Developer Evergrande defaults on an offshore bond in early December 2021; the crisis spreads to other major developers. In 2025, real-estate investment was still down 17.5% according to the National Bureau of Statistics.[27],[14]
December 7, 2022
End of the “zero-Covid” policy
After protests in several cities in late November 2022, the government loosens its rules, including compulsory PCR testing and the detention of people who test positive. 2022 has the weakest growth of the period apart from 2020 (3.0%).[28],[11]
The reforms Citoyen follows
The major reforms of the period that have their own detailed factsheet (timeline, measures, debate, indicators to follow).
Method
Which value at the start and end of a term? The last figure whose period had ended on that date. For a term that began on 15 November 2012: 2011 for an annual series (2012 was not over), October 2012 for a monthly one. Each term matches a Party Congress (2012, 2017, 2022). A term still running ends on the latest published figure. A change is shown only if the selected period covers at least half of the span between its two figures.
Why compare with the world? Part of the changes comes from common shocks (Covid, energy prices, interest rates). The change of the aggregate (world) over the same window is a benchmark: “better” means the country did better than that reference over the period, whatever the cause.
What this record does not say. It measures changes, not causes: an indicator that improves during a term is not necessarily due to the policies pursued, and vice versa. The figures rest on official Chinese statistics, taken up by the World Bank, the IMF and the OECD; unemployment is a modelled estimate of the International Labour Organization. The IMF’s public debt leaves out most of the debt of local government financing vehicles. No comparable world total exists for prices, the balance and debt: those rows are shown without comparison. Poverty and inequality stop in 2022 (latest published survey).
Sources
- Indicators. World Bank (national accounts, ILO-estimated employment and unemployment, poverty, Gini, life expectancy), EDGAR, European Commission (emissions, 2026 edition), IMF (World Economic Outlook, actual years), OECD (consumer prices) and Ember (renewable electricity, monthly since 2016), China and world, extracted on 9 November 2026 by scripts/analyses/build-mandate-data.py.World BankIMF
- Term dates. Chronology of the Communist Party of China (12371.cn), communiqués of the first plenary sessions of the 18th, 19th and 20th Central Committees (Citoyen’s terms-of-office dataset).12371.cn
- [1] Full text of Hu Jintao’s report at 18th Party Congress · Ambassade de la République populaire de Chine aux États-Unis
- [2] Fang Xiaodan: household income doubled compared with 2010 (in Chinese) · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [3] GDP growth (annual %), China (World Development Indicators, NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG) · Banque mondiale
- [4] The 13th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the People’s Republic of China (2016–2020) · Commission nationale du développement et de la réforme (NDRC)
- [5] The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035 of the People’s Republic of China (excerpt) · Commission nationale du développement et de la réforme (NDRC)
- [6] Outline of the People’s Republic of China 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Range Objectives for 2035 (translation) · Center for Security and Emerging Technology (Université de Georgetown) · secondary source
- [7] White Paper Lists China’s Achievements in Responding to Climate Change · Xinhua (repris par Dahe.cn) · secondary source
- [8] ‘Enhance solidarity’ to fight COVID-19, Chinese President urges, also pledges carbon neutrality by 2060 · ONU Info
- [9] Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2020 National Economic and Social Development · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [10] Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2021 National Economic and Social Development · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [11] Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2022 National Economic and Social Development · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [12] Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2023 National Economic and Social Development · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [13] Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2024 National Economic and Social Development · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [14] Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2025 National Economic and Social Development · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [15] National Economy was Generally Stable with New Achievement Made in High-Quality Development in the First Three Quarters · Bureau national des statistiques de Chine
- [16] Report on the Work of the Government (5 March 2026) · Gouvernement de la province du Fujian (texte de Xinhua)
- [17] Highlights of 2022 Government Work Report · China Daily · secondary source
- [18] Highlights of 2023 Government Work Report · China Daily · secondary source
- [19] Highlights of 2024 government work report · Ambassade de la République populaire de Chine aux États-Unis
- [20] Work report: GDP target ‘around 5%’ · China Daily · secondary source
- [21] China’s energy consumption per unit of GDP decreases 11.6% in 4 years · China Daily · secondary source
- [22] China Briefing 5 March 2026: New five-year climate goals revealed at ‘two sessions’ meeting · Carbon Brief · secondary source
- [23] Anti-corruption campaign under Xi Jinping · Wikipedia · secondary source
- [24] 2015–2016 Chinese stock market turbulence · Wikipedia · secondary source
- [25] 2018 amendment to the Constitution of China · Wikipedia · secondary source
- [26] China–United States trade war · Wikipedia · secondary source
- [27] Chinese real estate crisis (2020–present) · Wikipedia · secondary source
- [28] Zero-COVID · Wikipedia · secondary source