Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP in China
China: Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP was 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP in 2024. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP in China, 1989–2024
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in current USD per US$ of GDP.
Analysis
China recorded 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP for military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp in 2024.
The figure is up 3.1% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp in China peaked at 0.0323 current USD per US$ of GDP in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.0157 current USD per US$ of GDP, in 2021.
China ranks 82nd of 166 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP in China, year by year
| Year | current USD per US$ of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 0.0323 current USD per US$ of GDP | — |
| 1990 | 0.0275 current USD per US$ of GDP | -15.0% |
| 1991 | 0.0255 current USD per US$ of GDP | -7.1% |
| 1992 | 0.0286 current USD per US$ of GDP | +12.1% |
| 1993 | 0.0277 current USD per US$ of GDP | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 0.0174 current USD per US$ of GDP | -37.1% |
| 1995 | 0.0168 current USD per US$ of GDP | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 0.0164 current USD per US$ of GDP | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 0.0162 current USD per US$ of GDP | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 0.0164 current USD per US$ of GDP | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.0185 current USD per US$ of GDP | +12.9% |
| 2000 | 0.0182 current USD per US$ of GDP | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 0.0196 current USD per US$ of GDP | +7.9% |
| 2002 | 0.0203 current USD per US$ of GDP | +3.7% |
| 2003 | 0.0197 current USD per US$ of GDP | -3.2% |
| 2004 | 0.0191 current USD per US$ of GDP | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 0.0185 current USD per US$ of GDP | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 0.0184 current USD per US$ of GDP | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.0172 current USD per US$ of GDP | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 0.0169 current USD per US$ of GDP | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 0.0186 current USD per US$ of GDP | +10.2% |
| 2010 | 0.017 current USD per US$ of GDP | -8.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0163 current USD per US$ of GDP | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0168 current USD per US$ of GDP | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0171 current USD per US$ of GDP | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 0.0174 current USD per US$ of GDP | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 0.0173 current USD per US$ of GDP | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 0.0168 current USD per US$ of GDP | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 0.0164 current USD per US$ of GDP | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 0.0165 current USD per US$ of GDP | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 0.0172 current USD per US$ of GDP | +4.2% |
| 2021 | 0.0157 current USD per US$ of GDP | -8.7% |
| 2022 | 0.0159 current USD per US$ of GDP | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 0.0162 current USD per US$ of GDP | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP | +3.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0133 current USD per US$ of GDP, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- China's 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.0133 current USD per US$ of GDP, 1.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | -37.1% | 0.0277 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0174 current USD per US$ of GDP |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0323 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0323 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0323 current USD per US$ of GDP | 1 |
| 1990s | 0.0211 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0162 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0286 current USD per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0187 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0169 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0203 current USD per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0168 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0163 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0174 current USD per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0164 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0157 current USD per US$ of GDP | 0.0172 current USD per US$ of GDP | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
- 79 Croatia 0.0175 current USD per US$ of GDP compare
- 80 Tajikistan 0.0171 current USD per US$ of GDP compare
- 81 Somalia 0.0169 current USD per US$ of GDP compare
- 83 Iran 0.0166 current USD per US$ of GDP compare
- 84 Eswatini 0.0164 current USD per US$ of GDP compare
- 85 Senegal 0.016 current USD per US$ of GDP compare
More public sector data for China
- Democracy, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1949)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1949)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 0 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp in China?
- Military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp in China was 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP in 2024, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0323 current USD per US$ of GDP in 1989.
- What is the lowest military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0157 current USD per US$ of GDP in 2021.
- How does China rank for military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp?
- China ranks 82nd out of 166 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure (current usd), per unit of gdp rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Military expenditure (current USD) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Military expenditure (current USD) ÷ GDP (current US$)
Computed from
- Military expenditure SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
- GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Military expenditure (current USD) divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.