China vs United States of America: Military expenditure
China
2.25 trillion current LCU
in 2024
United States of America
997.31 billion current LCU
in 2024
China rank
26th
United States of America rank
29th
Military expenditure over time
- China
- United States of America
How they compare
China currently reports 2.25 trillion current LCU against 997.31 billion current LCU in United States of America, a difference of 1.26 trillion current LCU.
That makes China's figure about 2.3 times United States of America's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1989 it was United States of America ahead.
China ranks 26th and United States of America ranks 29th of 167 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 2 and United States of America in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.36 billion current LCU | 321.87 billion current LCU | 279.50 billion current LCU | United States of America |
| 1990s | 98.62 billion current LCU | 304.04 billion current LCU | 205.42 billion current LCU | United States of America |
| 2000s | 368.40 billion current LCU | 500.77 billion current LCU | 132.37 billion current LCU | United States of America |
| 2010s | 1.17 trillion current LCU | 687.98 billion current LCU | 486.23 billion current LCU | China |
| 2020s | 1.99 trillion current LCU | 871.73 billion current LCU | 1.12 trillion current LCU | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China or United States of America?
- China, at 2.25 trillion current LCU against 997.31 billion current LCU in United States of America as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China and United States of America?
- 1.26 trillion current LCU, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States of America?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do China and United States of America rank globally for military expenditure?
- China ranks 26th and United States of America ranks 29th of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)