Belgium vs China
Belgium vs China: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $13.6B in Belgium and $335B in China, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by $321B, or 25 times that in Belgium.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1989.
- In 2025, Belgium ranked 30 and China ranked 2 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Belgium | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $13.6B | $335B |
| 2024 | $8.57B | $312B |
| 2023 | $7.88B | $292B |
| 2022 | $7.61B | $274B |
| 2021 | $6.72B | $263B |
| 2020 | $6.08B | $256B |
| 2019 | $5.59B | $244B |
| 2018 | $5.47B | $233B |
| 2017 | $5.35B | $220B |
| 2016 | $5.35B | $207B |
| 2015 | $5.37B | $196B |
| 2014 | $5.57B | $182B |
| 2013 | $5.67B | $168B |
| 2012 | $5.81B | $156B |
| 2011 | $5.88B | $141B |
| 2010 | $6.09B | $132B |
| 2009 | $6.36B | $125B |
| 2008 | $6.75B | $103B |
| 2007 | $6.2B | $94.4B |
| 2006 | $5.74B | $85.9B |
| 2005 | $5.79B | $74.6B |
| 2004 | $6.01B | $68B |
| 2003 | $6.13B | $61.7B |
| 2002 | $6.07B | $57B |
| 2001 | $6.26B | $49.6B |
| 2000 | $6.55B | $41.9B |
| 1999 | $6.55B | $38.7B |
| 1998 | $6.46B | $31.7B |
| 1997 | $6.46B | $29.1B |
| 1996 | $6.55B | $27.2B |
| 1995 | $6.67B | $25.7B |
| 1994 | $6.81B | $24.8B |
| 1993 | $6.85B | $25.7B |
| 1992 | $7.21B | $28B |
| 1991 | $8.78B | $23B |
| 1990 | $8.91B | $21.6B |
| 1989 | $9.08B | $19.9B |
| 1988 | $9.22B | – |
| 1987 | $9.63B | – |
| 1986 | $9.57B | – |
| 1985 | $9.19B | – |
| 1984 | $9.3B | – |
| 1983 | $9.71B | – |
| 1982 | $10.1B | – |
| 1981 | $10.5B | – |
| 1980 | $10.4B | – |
| 1979 | $10.2B | – |
| 1978 | $9.95B | – |
| 1977 | $9.33B | – |
| 1976 | $9.09B | – |
| 1975 | $8.64B | – |
| 1974 | $7.93B | – |
| 1973 | $7.82B | – |
| 1972 | $7.48B | – |
| 1971 | $7.1B | – |
| 1970 | $6.81B | – |
| 1969 | $6.39B | – |
| 1968 | $6.35B | – |
| 1967 | $6.13B | – |
| 1966 | $5.85B | – |
| 1965 | $5.41B | – |
| 1964 | $5.59B | – |
| 1963 | $5.21B | – |
| 1962 | $5.06B | – |
| 1961 | $4.75B | – |
| 1960 | $4.7B | – |
| 1959 | $4.6B | – |
| 1958 | $4.56B | – |
| 1957 | $4.63B | – |
| 1956 | $4.44B | – |
| 1955 | $4.57B | – |
| 1954 | $5.51B | – |
| 1953 | $5.34B | – |
| 1952 | $5.37B | – |
| 1951 | $3.63B | – |
| 1950 | $2.46B | – |
| 1949 | $2.43B | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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 spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP 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