China vs United States: Military expenditure (current USD)
China
313.66 billion current USD
in 2024
United States
997.31 billion current USD
in 2024
China rank
2nd
United States rank
1st
Military expenditure (current USD) over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 997.31 billion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China, a difference of 683.65 billion current USD.
That makes United States's figure about 3.2 times China's.
Across all 36 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 168 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.25 billion current USD | 321.87 billion current USD | 310.62 billion current USD | United States |
| 1990s | 13.41 billion current USD | 304.04 billion current USD | 290.63 billion current USD | United States |
| 2000s | 48.20 billion current USD | 500.77 billion current USD | 452.57 billion current USD | United States |
| 2010s | 180.05 billion current USD | 687.98 billion current USD | 507.93 billion current USD | United States |
| 2020s | 289.27 billion current USD | 871.73 billion current USD | 582.46 billion current USD | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China or United States?
- United States, at 997.31 billion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China and United States?
- 683.65 billion current USD, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do China and United States rank globally for military expenditure?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 168 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)