China vs India
China vs India: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $335B in China and $93.3B in India, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by $242B, or 3.59 times that in India.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 1991, when it overtook India.
- In 2025, China ranked 2 and India ranked 5 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | China | India |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $335B | $93.3B |
| 2024 | $312B | $85.6B |
| 2023 | $292B | $85.2B |
| 2022 | $274B | $83.2B |
| 2021 | $263B | $79.7B |
| 2020 | $256B | $80.2B |
| 2019 | $244B | $79.7B |
| 2018 | $233B | $74.5B |
| 2017 | $220B | $71.9B |
| 2016 | $207B | $67.2B |
| 2015 | $196B | $61B |
| 2014 | $182B | $60.4B |
| 2013 | $168B | $57.6B |
| 2012 | $156B | $57.6B |
| 2011 | $141B | $57.9B |
| 2010 | $132B | $57.3B |
| 2009 | $125B | $57.1B |
| 2008 | $103B | $48.5B |
| 2007 | $94.4B | $42.8B |
| 2006 | $85.9B | $42.3B |
| 2005 | $74.6B | $41.9B |
| 2004 | $68B | $39.4B |
| 2003 | $61.7B | $33.9B |
| 2002 | $57B | $33.2B |
| 2001 | $49.6B | $33.3B |
| 2000 | $41.9B | $32.1B |
| 1999 | $38.7B | $31.2B |
| 1998 | $31.7B | $26.8B |
| 1997 | $29.1B | $25.7B |
| 1996 | $27.2B | $23.2B |
| 1995 | $25.7B | $22.8B |
| 1994 | $24.8B | $22.1B |
| 1993 | $25.7B | $22B |
| 1992 | $28B | $19.5B |
| 1991 | $23B | $20.4B |
| 1990 | $21.6B | $21.9B |
| 1989 | $19.9B | $22.2B |
| 1988 | – | $21.1B |
| 1987 | – | $20.6B |
| 1986 | – | $19.1B |
| 1985 | – | $16.2B |
| 1984 | – | $14.4B |
| 1983 | – | $13.6B |
| 1982 | – | $13.2B |
| 1981 | – | $12.1B |
| 1980 | – | $11.5B |
| 1979 | – | $11.2B |
| 1978 | – | $10.4B |
| 1977 | – | $9.93B |
| 1976 | – | $10.5B |
| 1975 | – | $9.1B |
| 1974 | – | $8.11B |
| 1973 | – | $8.71B |
| 1972 | – | $9.86B |
| 1971 | – | $9.35B |
| 1970 | – | $7.84B |
| 1969 | – | $7.61B |
| 1968 | – | $7.18B |
| 1967 | – | $6.93B |
| 1966 | – | $7.42B |
| 1965 | – | $7.88B |
| 1964 | – | $8.06B |
| 1963 | – | $8.26B |
| 1962 | – | $5.04B |
| 1961 | – | $3.67B |
| 1960 | – | $3.4B |
| 1959 | – | $3.37B |
| 1958 | – | $3.65B |
| 1957 | – | $3.64B |
| 1956 | – | $3.05B |
- 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
China vs India
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023India: 72 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024India: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023India: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017India: 3.53% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017India: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023India: 1.44 billion people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023India: 0.89% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023India: 1.98 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025India: 35.7% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023India: 28.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023India: 6.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023India: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025India: 2.3% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025India: $63 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025India: 8.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020India: 3.07 million people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022India: 9.94% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020India: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025India: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025India: 81 million TIV in 2025