DSSR · Overseas Allowances

Guangzhou, China Overseas Allowances (DSSR)

Effective date: July 12, 2026 Last updated: July 12, 2026
COLA (post allowance)
30%
% of spendable income
Hardship differential
20%
% of basic pay
Danger pay
0%
% of basic pay

Historical rate trend

Guangzhou rate history — Allowance rate (%). Query any past effective date directly via the API.

Effective date COLA (post allowance) Hardship differential Danger pay
Jul 12, 2026 30% 20% 0%
Apr 19, 2026 30% 20% 0%
Apr 5, 2026 25% 20% 0%
Mar 8, 2026 30% 20% 0%
Feb 8, 2026 25% 20% 0%
Sep 7, 2025 35% 20% 0%
Feb 9, 2025 30% 20% 0%
Dec 1, 2024 30% 15% 0%
Aug 25, 2024 35% 15% 0%
Jul 14, 2024 30% 15% 0%
Jan 28, 2024 30% 20% 0%
Dec 3, 2023 35% 20% 0%
Nov 19, 2023 30% 20% 0%
Jun 4, 2023 35% 20% 0%
Dec 18, 2022 42% 20% 0%
Sep 25, 2022 35% 20% 0%
Aug 14, 2022 42% 20% 0%
May 8, 2022 42% 15% 0%
Nov 7, 2021 50% 10% 0%
Feb 28, 2021 42% 10% 0%
Jan 31, 2021 42% 15% 0%
Oct 11, 2020 35% 15% 0%
Sep 13, 2020 20% 15% 0%
May 26, 2019 15% 15% 0%
Jan 20, 2019 20% 15% 0%
Sep 30, 2018 15% 15% 0%
Jul 8, 2018 20% 15% 0%
Jan 21, 2018 25% 15% 0%
Jun 11, 2017 20% 15% 0%
Nov 27, 2016 15% 15% 0%
Jul 10, 2016 20% 15% 0%
Feb 7, 2016 25% 15% 0%
Nov 29, 2015 25% 20% 0%
Nov 15, 2015 30% 20% 0%
Aug 23, 2015 25% 20% 0%
Mar 9, 2014 30% 20% 0%
Jan 12, 2014 35% 20% 0%
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How this rate is used

These three DSSR allowances compensate U.S. government civilian employees assigned to Guangzhou. The post (cost-of-living) allowance offsets higher overseas costs of goods and services; the hardship differential pays for service where conditions are notably more difficult than in the continental U.S.; and danger pay applies during periods of civil insurrection, terrorism or war. COLA is a percentage of spendable income, while hardship and danger pay are percentages of basic pay -- mobility, HR and payroll teams combine them to compute total overseas compensation.

Get this data from the API

The exact request that returns this page's data. Change the date parameter to query any historical effective date, or pull it straight into your ERP, payroll, or expense system.

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
  "https://api.allowancesapi.com/v1/dssr/allowances/CN"
Sample response
{
  "effective_date": "2026-07-12",
  "results": [
    {
      "cola": {
        "effective_date": "2026-07-12",
        "rate": 30
      },
      "danger_pay": {
        "effective_date": null,
        "rate": null
      },
      "hardship": {
        "effective_date": "2026-07-12",
        "rate": 20
      },
      "iso_code": "CN",
      "location": "Guangzhou",
      "postcode": "10255"
    }
  ],
  "verification_url": "https://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=184\u0026menu_id=78"
}

Guangzhou rate FAQ

What overseas allowances apply to Guangzhou, China?

As of Jul 12, 2026, the DSSR allowances for Guangzhou, China are: COLA (post allowance) 30%, hardship differential 20%, and danger pay 0%. Each is shown with its full history in the chart and table above.

What is the difference between COLA, hardship and danger pay for Guangzhou?

COLA (the post allowance) offsets higher local costs of goods and services and is a percentage of spendable income. The hardship differential compensates for difficult living conditions, and danger pay for civil unrest, terrorism or war conditions -- both are percentages of basic pay.

How have the Guangzhou allowances changed over time?

The chart and table above show every change in COLA, hardship and danger pay for Guangzhou back to Jan 12, 2014, and each is queryable by effective date via the API.

Source & methodology

Effective period
Effective Jul 12, 2026
Last updated
July 12, 2026

Allowances API is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any U.S. Government agency. All rate data is sourced from official public rate tables and re-published in a normalized format.