China vs Lesotho: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
China
1.7%
in 2025
Lesotho
1.6%
in 2025
China rank
87th
Lesotho rank
90th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- China
- Lesotho
How they compare
China currently reports 1.7% against 1.6% in Lesotho, a difference of 0.1%.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Lesotho's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 37 shared years of data; in 1989 it was Lesotho ahead.
China ranks 87th and Lesotho ranks 90th of 167 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Lesotho in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Lesotho | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.4% | 4.3% | 1.9% | Lesotho |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 3.0% | 1.0% | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 2.4% | 0.5% | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 2.2% | 0.5% | Lesotho |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.0% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China or Lesotho?
- China, at 1.7% against 1.6% in Lesotho as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China and Lesotho?
- 0.1%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Lesotho?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2025.
- How do China and Lesotho rank globally for military expenditure?
- China ranks 87th and Lesotho ranks 90th of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product