China vs North America: Military expenditure
China
313.66 billion current USD
in 2024
North America
1.03 trillion current USD
in 2024
China rank
2nd
North America rank
5th
Military expenditure over time
- China
- North America
How they compare
North America currently reports 1.03 trillion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China, a difference of 713.00 billion current USD.
That makes North America's figure about 3.3 times China's.
Across all 36 years both countries report, North America has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and North America ranks 5th of 167 countries.
North America has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | North America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.25 billion current USD | 332.61 billion current USD | 321.36 billion current USD | North America |
| 1990s | 13.41 billion current USD | 313.55 billion current USD | 300.14 billion current USD | North America |
| 2000s | 48.20 billion current USD | 513.76 billion current USD | 465.57 billion current USD | North America |
| 2010s | 180.05 billion current USD | 708.04 billion current USD | 527.99 billion current USD | North America |
| 2020s | 289.27 billion current USD | 897.85 billion current USD | 608.58 billion current USD | North America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China or North America?
- North America, at 1.03 trillion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China and North America?
- 713.00 billion current USD, with North America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and North America?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do China and North America rank globally for military expenditure?
- China ranks 2nd and North America ranks 5th of 167 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)