Australia vs China: Military expenditure
Australia
5.0%
in 2024
China
5.1%
in 2024
Australia rank
83rd
China rank
81st
Military expenditure over time
- Australia
- China
How they compare
China currently reports 5.1% against 5.0% in Australia, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1989 it was China ahead.
Australia ranks 83rd and China ranks 81st of 161 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | China | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.9% | 13.2% | 6.3% | China |
| 1990s | 6.0% | 14.4% | 8.3% | China |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 10.1% | 4.9% | China |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 5.7% | 0.7% | China |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 5.0% | 0.1% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Australia or China?
- China, at 5.1% against 5.0% in Australia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Australia and China?
- 0.1%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and China?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2024.
- How do Australia and China rank globally for military expenditure?
- Australia ranks 83rd and China ranks 81st of 161 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