Afghanistan vs China: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Afghanistan
5.0%
in 2020
China
5.1%
in 2025
Afghanistan rank
87th
China rank
85th
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- Afghanistan
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 5.1% against 5.0% in Afghanistan, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2004 it was Afghanistan ahead.
Afghanistan ranks 87th and China ranks 85th of 164 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 2 and China in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.0% | 9.3% | 2.7% | Afghanistan |
| 2010s | 5.1% | 5.7% | 0.6% | China |
| 2020s | 7.6% | 4.9% | 2.7% | Afghanistan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Afghanistan or China?
- China, at 5.1% against 5.0% in Afghanistan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Afghanistan and China?
- 0.1%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and China?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2021.
- How do Afghanistan and China rank globally for military expenditure?
- Afghanistan ranks 87th and China ranks 85th of 164 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure