China vs Iran

China vs Iran: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 1.73% of GDP in China and 2.09% of GDP in Iran, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 0.37 percentage points, or 1.21 times that in China.

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% of GDP · SIPRI

China vs Iran: Military spendingMilitary spending in 2025: 1.73% of GDP in China and 2.09% of GDP in Iran, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 0.37 percentage points, or 1.21 times that in China.
ChinaIranSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

  • Iran has been higher since 1994, when it overtook China.
  • In 2025, China ranked 74 and Iran ranked 54 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearChinaIran
20251.732.09
20241.662.22
20231.622.49
20221.592.24
20211.572.32
20201.722.18
20191.652.15
20181.642.36
20171.682.84
20161.732.8
20151.742.56
20141.712.12
20131.682.18
20121.672.69
20111.632.38
20101.72.79
20091.863.05
20081.692.68
20071.722.65
20061.843.32
20051.853.04
20041.912.84
20031.972.41
20022.032.18
20011.962.42
20001.822.3
19991.862.41
19981.642.63
19971.622.5
19961.642.25
19951.682.15
19941.742.07
19931.991.7
19922.471.79
19912.312.17
19902.452.94
19892.454.56
1988–6.27
1987–5.89
1986–6.08
1985–6.51
1984–6.36
1983–7.1
1982–7.91
1981–8.19
1980–5.34
1979–5.8
1978–11.11
1977–10.19
1976–11.25
1975–12.07
1974–8.75
1973–1.87
1972–2.28
1971–3.05
1970–5.86
1969–5.97
1968–5.18
1967–4.46
1966–3.82
1965–3.25
1964–2.88
1963–2.59
1962–2.31
1961–2.35
1960–2.3
  • 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 Iran

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