Belgium vs China
Belgium vs China: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 2.01% of GDP in Belgium and 1.73% of GDP in China, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Belgium, by 0.28 percentage points, or 1.16 times that in China.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Belgium has been higher since 2025, when it overtook China.
- In 2025, Belgium ranked 61 and China ranked 74 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Belgium | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.01 | 1.73 |
| 2024 | 1.28 | 1.66 |
| 2023 | 1.17 | 1.62 |
| 2022 | 1.17 | 1.59 |
| 2021 | 1.04 | 1.57 |
| 2020 | 1.01 | 1.72 |
| 2019 | 0.89 | 1.65 |
| 2018 | 0.89 | 1.64 |
| 2017 | 0.89 | 1.68 |
| 2016 | 0.9 | 1.73 |
| 2015 | 0.91 | 1.74 |
| 2014 | 0.97 | 1.71 |
| 2013 | 1.01 | 1.68 |
| 2012 | 1.04 | 1.67 |
| 2011 | 1.05 | 1.63 |
| 2010 | 1.09 | 1.7 |
| 2009 | 1.16 | 1.86 |
| 2008 | 1.22 | 1.69 |
| 2007 | 1.1 | 1.72 |
| 2006 | 1.06 | 1.84 |
| 2005 | 1.1 | 1.85 |
| 2004 | 1.16 | 1.91 |
| 2003 | 1.22 | 1.97 |
| 2002 | 1.22 | 2.03 |
| 2001 | 1.28 | 1.96 |
| 2000 | 1.35 | 1.82 |
| 1999 | 1.39 | 1.86 |
| 1998 | 1.42 | 1.64 |
| 1997 | 1.46 | 1.62 |
| 1996 | 1.52 | 1.64 |
| 1995 | 1.55 | 1.68 |
| 1994 | 1.68 | 1.74 |
| 1993 | 1.74 | 1.99 |
| 1992 | 1.83 | 2.47 |
| 1991 | 2.29 | 2.31 |
| 1990 | 2.36 | 2.45 |
| 1989 | 2.46 | 2.45 |
| 1988 | 2.63 | – |
| 1987 | 2.9 | – |
| 1986 | 2.95 | – |
| 1985 | 2.93 | – |
| 1984 | 3.01 | – |
| 1983 | 3.19 | – |
| 1982 | 3.27 | – |
| 1981 | 3.37 | – |
| 1980 | 3.25 | – |
| 1979 | 3.26 | – |
| 1978 | 3.26 | – |
| 1977 | 3.14 | – |
| 1976 | 3.09 | – |
| 1975 | 3.07 | – |
| 1974 | 2.76 | – |
| 1973 | 2.84 | – |
| 1972 | 2.88 | – |
| 1971 | 2.9 | – |
| 1970 | 2.92 | – |
| 1969 | 2.93 | – |
| 1968 | 3.12 | – |
| 1967 | 3.14 | – |
| 1966 | 3.11 | – |
| 1965 | 2.97 | – |
| 1964 | 3.21 | – |
| 1963 | 3.22 | – |
| 1962 | 3.29 | – |
| 1961 | 3.26 | – |
| 1960 | 3.4 | – |
| 1959 | 3.52 | – |
| 1958 | 3.57 | – |
| 1957 | 3.61 | – |
| 1956 | 3.56 | – |
| 1955 | 3.78 | – |
| 1954 | 4.88 | – |
| 1953 | 4.86 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- 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
Belgium vs China
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025China: $335B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBelgium: 24,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025China: 880 million TIV in 2025