China vs India: Military expenditure
China
313.66 billion current USD
in 2024
India
86.13 billion current USD
in 2024
China rank
2nd
India rank
5th
Military expenditure over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 313.66 billion current USD against 86.13 billion current USD in India, a difference of 227.53 billion current USD.
That makes China's figure about 3.6 times India's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1989 it was China ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 5th of 166 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.25 billion current USD | 10.59 billion current USD | 661.50 million current USD | China |
| 1990s | 13.41 billion current USD | 10.13 billion current USD | 3.27 billion current USD | China |
| 2000s | 48.20 billion current USD | 22.72 billion current USD | 25.47 billion current USD | China |
| 2010s | 180.05 billion current USD | 55.15 billion current USD | 124.90 billion current USD | China |
| 2020s | 289.27 billion current USD | 79.54 billion current USD | 209.73 billion current USD | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China or India?
- China, at 313.66 billion current USD against 86.13 billion current USD in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China and India?
- 227.53 billion current USD, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do China and India rank globally for military expenditure?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 5th of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (current USD). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)