China vs World: Military expenditure
China
313.66 billion current USD
in 2024
World
2.65 trillion current USD
in 2024
China rank
2nd
World rank
1st
Military expenditure over time
- China
- World
How they compare
World currently reports 2.65 trillion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China, a difference of 2.34 trillion current USD.
That makes World's figure about 8.5 times China's.
Across all 36 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and World ranks 1st of 166 countries.
World has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.25 billion current USD | 657.86 billion current USD | 646.61 billion current USD | World |
| 1990s | 13.41 billion current USD | 713.84 billion current USD | 700.43 billion current USD | World |
| 2000s | 48.20 billion current USD | 1.11 trillion current USD | 1.06 trillion current USD | World |
| 2010s | 180.05 billion current USD | 1.73 trillion current USD | 1.55 trillion current USD | World |
| 2020s | 289.27 billion current USD | 2.25 trillion current USD | 1.96 trillion current USD | World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China or World?
- World, at 2.65 trillion current USD against 313.66 billion current USD in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China and World?
- 2.34 trillion current USD, with World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and World?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do China and World rank globally for military expenditure?
- China ranks 2nd and World ranks 1st 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)