China vs Sri Lanka: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
China
5.1%
in 2025
Sri Lanka
4.9%
in 2025
China rank
85th
Sri Lanka rank
88th
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- China
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
China currently reports 5.1% against 4.9% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was China ahead.
China ranks 85th and Sri Lanka ranks 88th of 164 countries.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.4% | 14.4% | 0.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 14.1% | 4.0% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 5.7% | 11.9% | 6.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 7.1% | 2.1% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, China or Sri Lanka?
- China, at 5.1% against 4.9% in Sri Lanka as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between China and Sri Lanka?
- 0.2%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Sri Lanka?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do China and Sri Lanka rank globally for military expenditure?
- China ranks 85th and Sri Lanka ranks 88th 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