China vs Vietnam: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values)
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) over time
- China
- Vietnam
How they compare
China currently reports 207.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values against 177.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in Vietnam, a difference of 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values.
That makes China's figure about 1.2 times Vietnam's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 62 shared years of data; in 1960 it was China ahead.
China ranks 37th and Vietnam ranks 40th of 174 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and Vietnam in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 546.70 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 559.80 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 13.10 million SIPRI trend indicator values | Vietnam |
| 1970s | 17.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 792.30 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 775.30 million SIPRI trend indicator values | Vietnam |
| 1980s | 51.10 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 444.40 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 393.30 million SIPRI trend indicator values | Vietnam |
| 1990s | 916.83 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 181.83 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 735.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | China |
| 2000s | 2.48 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 100.50 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 2.38 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | China |
| 2010s | 1.35 billion SIPRI trend indicator values | 689.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 664.90 million SIPRI trend indicator values | China |
| 2020s | 468.67 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 106.50 million SIPRI trend indicator values | 362.17 million SIPRI trend indicator values | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher arms imports, China or Vietnam?
- China, at 207.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values against 177.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in Vietnam as of 2025.
- What is the difference in arms imports between China and Vietnam?
- 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Vietnam?
- 62 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do China and Vietnam rank globally for arms imports?
- China ranks 37th and Vietnam ranks 40th of 174 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
Arms transfers (imports) cover the volume of transfers of major arms through sales and gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships. Figures are SIPRI Trend Indicator Values (TIVs). A '0' indicates that the volume of deliveries is between 0 and 0.5 million SIPRI TIV.