China vs Germany
China vs Germany: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.73% of GDP in China and 2.27% of GDP in Germany, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Germany, by 0.54 percentage points, or 1.32 times that in China.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Germany has been higher since 2024, when it overtook China.
- In 2025, China ranked 74 and Germany ranked 46 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | China | Germany |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.73 | 2.27 |
| 2024 | 1.66 | 1.84 |
| 2023 | 1.62 | 1.5 |
| 2022 | 1.59 | 1.34 |
| 2021 | 1.57 | 1.3 |
| 2020 | 1.72 | 1.36 |
| 2019 | 1.65 | 1.24 |
| 2018 | 1.64 | 1.15 |
| 2017 | 1.68 | 1.13 |
| 2016 | 1.73 | 1.13 |
| 2015 | 1.74 | 1.12 |
| 2014 | 1.71 | 1.13 |
| 2013 | 1.68 | 1.16 |
| 2012 | 1.67 | 1.22 |
| 2011 | 1.63 | 1.18 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 1.24 |
| 2009 | 1.86 | 1.29 |
| 2008 | 1.69 | 1.19 |
| 2007 | 1.72 | 1.15 |
| 2006 | 1.84 | 1.18 |
| 2005 | 1.85 | 1.23 |
| 2004 | 1.91 | 1.25 |
| 2003 | 1.97 | 1.3 |
| 2002 | 2.03 | 1.31 |
| 2001 | 1.96 | 1.31 |
| 2000 | 1.82 | 1.34 |
| 1999 | 1.86 | 1.38 |
| 1998 | 1.64 | 1.38 |
| 1997 | 1.62 | 1.4 |
| 1996 | 1.64 | 1.46 |
| 1995 | 1.68 | 1.49 |
| 1994 | 1.74 | 1.54 |
| 1993 | 1.99 | 1.68 |
| 1992 | 2.47 | 1.84 |
| 1991 | 2.31 | 1.97 |
| 1990 | 2.45 | – |
| 1989 | 2.45 | – |
- 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
China vs Germany
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Germany: 81.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Germany: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Germany: 3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Germany: 3.96% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Germany: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Germany: 84.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Germany: 0.35% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Germany: 1.44 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Germany: 82.1% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Germany: 45.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Germany: 22.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Germany: 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Germany: $107B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Germany: $1,346 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Germany: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Germany: 183,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Germany: 1.5% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Germany: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Germany: 1.63 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Germany: 1.7 billion TIV in 2025