Military expenditure in China
China: Military expenditure was 1.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in China, 1989–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in China is 1.7%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in China peaked at 2.5% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2021.
That places China 83rd out of 164 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Military expenditure in China, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 2.4% | — |
| 1990 | 2.5% | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 2.3% | -5.8% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | +6.0% |
| 1993 | 1.9% | -21.3% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | -12.2% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 1.7% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 1.9% | +13.1% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 2.0% | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 1.9% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | +10.3% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -8.4% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 1.7% | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More public sector data for China
- Arms imports 72.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.0511 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -83.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 72.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 222.62 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0167 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 5.67 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 313.66 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 45.91 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in China?
- Military expenditure in China was 1.7% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.5% in 1990.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2021.
- How does China rank for military expenditure?
- China ranks 83rd out of 164 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product