Australia vs China: National power

National power in 2022: 0.6% of world capability in Australia and 23.41% of world capability in China, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in China, by 22.81 percentage points, or 39 times that in Australia.

Watch it change on the map

% of world capability · Correlates of War

AustraliaChina

What the numbers say

China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1920.
In 2022, Australia ranked 30 and China ranked 1 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of world capability · Correlates of War

Year	Australia	China
2022	0.6	23.41
2021	0.64	23.29
2020	0.64	23.8
2019	0.63	22.91
2018	0.6	22.6
2017	0.62	22.2
2016	0.68	23.08
2015	0.67	23.14
2014	0.65	22.9
2013	0.7	22.82
2012	0.73	22.04
2011	0.73	21.42
2010	0.74	20.92
2009	0.69	20.95
2008	0.75	19.06
2007	0.76	18.69
2006	0.75	17.94
2005	0.75	17.19
2004	0.74	16.8
2003	0.75	16.03
2002	0.75	15.35
2001	0.69	16.54
2000	0.71	16.22
1999	0.76	15.74
1998	0.79	15.41
1997	0.8	14.91
1996	0.79	14.64
1995	0.79	14.28
1994	0.78	13.71
1993	0.79	13.17
1992	0.76	12.38
1991	0.74	11.85
1990	0.72	11.18
1989	0.73	11.45
1988	0.69	11.29
1987	0.69	11.16
1986	0.7	11.4
1985	0.7	11.35
1984	0.66	11.61
1983	0.71	11.9
1982	0.74	11.88
1981	0.75	11.99
1980	0.74	11.95
1979	0.71	11.98
1978	0.73	12.1
1977	0.73	11.83
1976	0.75	11.77
1975	0.76	11.87
1974	0.75	11.69
1973	0.74	11.34
1972	0.73	11.3
1971	0.76	11.32
1970	0.76	11.27
1969	0.78	10.82
1968	0.8	10.59
1967	0.78	10.56
1966	0.73	10.97
1965	0.73	10.89
1964	0.71	11
1963	0.7	10.71
1962	0.71	10.36
1961	0.7	10.49
1960	0.7	11.93
1959	0.71	11.7
1958	0.73	10.84
1957	0.7	9.95
1956	0.69	9.81
1955	0.68	9.13
1954	0.73	9.44
1953	0.69	9.51
1952	0.67	9.64
1951	0.69	10.36
1950	0.68	11.85
1949	0.74	10.41
1948	0.83	11.51
1947	0.93	11.92
1946	1.06	13.27
1945	1.05	9.35
1944	1.09	9.74
1943	1.2	9.99
1942	1.08	9.89
1941	1.11	9.87
1940	0.75	9.26
1939	0.67	9.71
1938	0.72	9.32
1937	0.67	11.72
1936	0.65	11.12
1935	0.65	11.09
1934	0.65	12
1933	0.65	12.26
1932	0.63	12.55
1931	0.6	12.54
1930	0.62	12.59
1929	0.65	12.66
1928	0.69	12.68
1927	0.8	13.21
1926	0.78	16.23
1925	0.78	13.83
1924	0.8	16.29
1923	0.72	14.72
1922	0.72	13.64
1921	0.76	12.89
1920	0.69	12.75
1919	–	10.35
1918	–	8.62
1917	–	10.28
1916	–	8.35
1915	–	10.02
1914	–	9.22
1913	–	9.64
1912	–	11.36
1911	–	11.34
1910	–	13.64
1909	–	13.72
1908	–	13.93
1907	–	14.18
1906	–	11.87
1905	–	11.01
1904	–	11.77
1903	–	11.85
1902	–	11.86
1901	–	11.57
1900	–	12
1899	–	12.48
1898	–	12.35
1897	–	12.14
1896	–	12.43
1895	–	15.22
1894	–	15.41
1893	–	15.39
1892	–	15.46
1891	–	15.47
1890	–	15.56
1889	–	15.59
1888	–	15.64
1887	–	15.8
1886	–	16.04
1885	–	16.1
1884	–	16.21
1883	–	16.3
1882	–	16.05
1881	–	15.99
1880	–	16.28
1879	–	16.36
1878	–	15.63
1877	–	16.17
1876	–	16.32
1875	–	16.66
1874	–	16.83
1873	–	16.67
1872	–	16.83
1871	–	15.37
1870	–	17.07
1869	–	17.01
1868	–	16.87
1867	–	16.85
1866	–	17.1
1865	–	16.11
1864	–	15.94
1863	–	16.43
1862	–	17.08
1861	–	17.27
1860	–	17.43

Each country on its own

Good to know

The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Australia vs China: National power

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Australia vs China

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment