Canada vs China
Canada vs China: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $37.5B in Canada and $335B in China, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by $297B, or 8.93 times that in Canada.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 1990, when it overtook Canada.
- In 2025, Canada ranked 16 and China ranked 2 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Canada | China |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37.5B | $335B |
| 2024 | $30.6B | $312B |
| 2023 | $29.2B | $292B |
| 2022 | $25.4B | $274B |
| 2021 | $25.7B | $263B |
| 2020 | $27B | $256B |
| 2019 | $24.4B | $244B |
| 2018 | $24.6B | $233B |
| 2017 | $25B | $220B |
| 2016 | $21.2B | $207B |
| 2015 | $21.6B | $196B |
| 2014 | $20.4B | $182B |
| 2013 | $18.2B | $168B |
| 2012 | $19.7B | $156B |
| 2011 | $20.8B | $141B |
| 2010 | $20.1B | $132B |
| 2009 | $22.2B | $125B |
| 2008 | $21.3B | $103B |
| 2007 | $19.7B | $94.4B |
| 2006 | $18.1B | $85.9B |
| 2005 | $17.3B | $74.6B |
| 2004 | $16.6B | $68B |
| 2003 | $16B | $61.7B |
| 2002 | $15.7B | $57B |
| 2001 | $15.6B | $49.6B |
| 2000 | $15.2B | $41.9B |
| 1999 | $15.4B | $38.7B |
| 1998 | $14.8B | $31.7B |
| 1997 | $14.3B | $29.1B |
| 1996 | $15.5B | $27.2B |
| 1995 | $16.9B | $25.7B |
| 1994 | $17.9B | $24.8B |
| 1993 | $18.2B | $25.7B |
| 1992 | $18.2B | $28B |
| 1991 | $18.4B | $23B |
| 1990 | $20B | $21.6B |
| 1989 | $20B | $19.9B |
| 1988 | $20.1B | – |
| 1987 | $19.8B | – |
| 1986 | $19.4B | – |
| 1985 | $19B | – |
| 1984 | $18.5B | – |
| 1983 | $17.3B | – |
| 1982 | $15.9B | – |
| 1981 | $14.6B | – |
| 1980 | $14.8B | – |
| 1979 | $14.1B | – |
| 1978 | $14.5B | – |
| 1977 | $13.9B | – |
| 1976 | $13.3B | – |
| 1975 | $13.1B | – |
| 1974 | $12.4B | – |
| 1973 | $11.8B | – |
| 1972 | $11.9B | – |
| 1971 | $11.8B | – |
| 1970 | $11.4B | – |
| 1969 | $11.4B | – |
| 1968 | $12.1B | – |
| 1967 | $12.4B | – |
| 1966 | $11.7B | – |
| 1965 | $11.9B | – |
| 1964 | $12.8B | – |
| 1963 | $12.6B | – |
| 1962 | $13.2B | – |
| 1961 | $12.7B | – |
| 1960 | $12.5B | – |
| 1959 | $12.8B | – |
| 1958 | $13.7B | – |
| 1957 | $14.7B | – |
| 1956 | $15.3B | – |
| 1955 | $15B | – |
| 1954 | $15.2B | – |
| 1953 | $16.3B | – |
| 1952 | $14.2B | – |
| 1951 | $8.85B | – |
| 1950 | $4.37B | – |
- 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
Canada vs China
Health
- Life expectancyCanada: 82.6 years in 2023China: 78 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCanada: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024China: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCanada: 4.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023China: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCanada: 3.99% in 2017China: 3.31% in 2017
- Suicide rateCanada: 10.9 per 100,000 people in 2017China: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCanada: 39.3 million people in 2023China: 1.42 billion people in 2023
- Population growthCanada: 1.22% a year in 2023China: -0.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCanada: 1.35 births per woman in 2023China: 1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCanada: 82.9% in 2025China: 66.3% in 2025
- Median ageCanada: 40.3 years in 2023China: 39.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCanada: 19.4% in 2023China: 14.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCanada: 11 per 1,000 people in 2023China: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCanada: 1.63% of GDP in 2025China: 1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personCanada: $939 in 2025China: $237 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCanada: 3.7% of government spending in 2025China: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCanada: 72,000 people in 2020China: 2.54 million people in 2020
- National powerCanada: 0.81% of world capability in 2022China: 23.41% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCanada: 0.35% of the labour force in 2020China: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCanada: 83 million TIV in 2025China: 207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCanada: 312 million TIV in 2025China: 880 million TIV in 2025