China (People’s Republic of) vs United States of America: Military expenditure
China (People’s Republic of)
313.66 billion current USD
in 2024
United States of America
997.31 billion current USD
in 2024
China (People’s Republic of) rank
2nd
United States of America rank
1st
Military expenditure over time
- China (People’s Republic of)
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 997.31 billion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China (People’s Republic of), a difference of 683.65 billion current USD.
That makes United States of America's figure about 3.2 times China (People’s Republic of)'s.
Across all 36 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.
China (People’s Republic of) ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 1st of 167 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China (People’s Republic of) | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.25 billion current USD | 321.87 billion current USD | 310.62 billion current USD | United States of America |
| 1990s | 13.41 billion current USD | 304.04 billion current USD | 290.63 billion current USD | United States of America |
| 2000s | 48.20 billion current USD | 500.77 billion current USD | 452.57 billion current USD | United States of America |
| 2010s | 180.05 billion current USD | 687.98 billion current USD | 507.93 billion current USD | United States of America |
| 2020s | 289.27 billion current USD | 871.73 billion current USD | 582.46 billion current USD | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China (People’s Republic of) or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 997.31 billion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China (People’s Republic of) as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China (People’s Republic of) and United States of America?
- 683.65 billion current USD, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China (People’s Republic of) and United States of America?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do China (People’s Republic of) and United States of America rank globally for military expenditure?
- China (People’s Republic of) ranks 2nd and United States of America ranks 1st 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)