Afghanistan vs China
Afghanistan vs China: Military spending per person
Military spending per person: $7 in Afghanistan in 2021 and $237 in China in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2021 the value was higher in China, by $193, or 29 times that in Afghanistan.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2004.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Afghanistan | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | $237 |
| 2024 | – | $220 |
| 2023 | – | $208 |
| 2022 | – | $205 |
| 2021 | $7 | $201 |
| 2020 | $7 | $181 |
| 2019 | $6 | $169 |
| 2018 | $5 | $164 |
| 2017 | $5 | $150 |
| 2016 | $5 | $142 |
| 2015 | $6 | $141 |
| 2014 | $8 | $132 |
| 2013 | $7 | $119 |
| 2012 | $8 | $106 |
| 2011 | $11 | $92 |
| 2010 | $11 | $78 |
| 2009 | $9 | $72 |
| 2008 | $9 | $59 |
| 2007 | $8 | $47 |
| 2006 | $5 | $39 |
| 2005 | $5 | $33 |
| 2004 | $5 | $29 |
| 2003 | – | $26 |
| 2002 | – | $24 |
| 2001 | – | $21 |
| 2000 | – | $18 |
| 1999 | – | $16 |
| 1998 | – | $14 |
| 1997 | – | $13 |
| 1996 | – | $12 |
| 1995 | – | $10 |
| 1994 | – | $8 |
| 1993 | – | $10 |
| 1992 | – | $10 |
| 1991 | – | $8 |
| 1990 | – | $9 |
| 1989 | – | $10 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 151 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Afghanistan vs China
Health
- Life expectancyAfghanistan: 66 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAfghanistan: 5.3 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 44 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAfghanistan: 4.14% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateAfghanistan: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAfghanistan: 41.5 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthAfghanistan: 2.85% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAfghanistan: 4.84 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAfghanistan: 25.9% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageAfghanistan: 16.9 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAfghanistan: 2.4% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateAfghanistan: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAfghanistan: 1.83% of GDP in 2021China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAfghanistan: $8.55M in 1977China: $335B in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAfghanistan: 5% of government spending in 2020China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelAfghanistan: 165,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerAfghanistan: 0.29% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAfghanistan: 1.82% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAfghanistan: 65 million TIV in 2021China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAfghanistan: 1 million TIV in 1992China: 880 million TIV in 2025