China vs Iran: National power

National power in 2022: 23.41% of world capability in China and 1.64% of world capability in Iran, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in China, by 21.77 percentage points, or 14 times that in Iran.

Watch it change on the map

% of world capability · Correlates of War

ChinaIran

What the numbers say

China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1860.
In 2022, China ranked 1 and Iran ranked 10 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of world capability · Correlates of War

Year	China	Iran
2022	23.41	1.64
2021	23.29	1.8
2020	23.8	1.75
2019	22.91	1.64
2018	22.6	1.66
2017	22.2	1.62
2016	23.08	1.54
2015	23.14	1.59
2014	22.9	1.47
2013	22.82	1.47
2012	22.04	1.55
2011	21.42	1.48
2010	20.92	1.38
2009	20.95	1.38
2008	19.06	1.39
2007	18.69	1.38
2006	17.94	1.41
2005	17.19	1.29
2004	16.8	1.3
2003	16.03	1.33
2002	15.35	1.3
2001	16.54	1.33
2000	16.22	1.29
1999	15.74	1.3
1998	15.41	1.25
1997	14.91	1.28
1996	14.64	1.22
1995	14.28	1.21
1994	13.71	1.16
1993	13.17	1.1
1992	12.38	1.07
1991	11.85	1.05
1990	11.18	0.92
1989	11.45	1.12
1988	11.29	1.12
1987	11.16	0.92
1986	11.4	0.87
1985	11.35	1.07
1984	11.61	1.17
1983	11.9	0.99
1982	11.88	1.01
1981	11.99	0.78
1980	11.95	0.78
1979	11.98	0.95
1978	12.1	1.03
1977	11.83	1.03
1976	11.77	1.05
1975	11.87	1.01
1974	11.69	0.88
1973	11.34	0.69
1972	11.3	0.64
1971	11.32	0.62
1970	11.27	0.61
1969	10.82	0.58
1968	10.59	0.56
1967	10.56	0.63
1966	10.97	0.62
1965	10.89	0.63
1964	11	0.61
1963	10.71	0.6
1962	10.36	0.61
1961	10.49	0.6
1960	11.93	0.63
1959	11.7	0.57
1958	10.84	0.56
1957	9.95	0.54
1956	9.81	0.51
1955	9.13	0.46
1954	9.44	0.39
1953	9.51	0.39
1952	9.64	0.39
1951	10.36	0.53
1950	11.85	0.62
1949	10.41	0.43
1948	11.51	0.43
1947	11.92	0.42
1946	13.27	0.45
1945	9.35	0.33
1944	9.74	0.35
1943	9.99	0.34
1942	9.89	0.38
1941	9.87	0.45
1940	9.26	0.37
1939	9.71	0.32
1938	9.32	0.45
1937	11.72	0.44
1936	11.12	0.44
1935	11.09	0.45
1934	12	0.5
1933	12.26	0.5
1932	12.55	0.39
1931	12.54	0.34
1930	12.59	0.36
1929	12.66	0.4
1928	12.68	0.36
1927	13.21	0.38
1926	16.23	0.37
1925	13.83	0.38
1924	16.29	0.36
1923	14.72	0.34
1922	13.64	0.35
1921	12.89	0.35
1920	12.75	0.35
1919	10.35	0.36
1918	8.62	0.31
1917	10.28	0.29
1916	8.35	0.33
1915	10.02	0.32
1914	9.22	0.45
1913	9.64	0.37
1912	11.36	0.38
1911	11.34	0.37
1910	13.64	0.38
1909	13.72	0.38
1908	13.93	0.54
1907	14.18	0.39
1906	11.87	0.39
1905	11.01	0.38
1904	11.77	0.38
1903	11.85	0.38
1902	11.86	0.38
1901	11.57	0.39
1900	12	0.39
1899	12.48	0.4
1898	12.35	0.4
1897	12.14	0.41
1896	12.43	0.41
1895	15.22	0.41
1894	15.41	0.42
1893	15.39	0.42
1892	15.46	0.42
1891	15.47	0.42
1890	15.56	0.42
1889	15.59	0.89
1888	15.64	0.75
1887	15.8	0.43
1886	16.04	1.25
1885	16.1	0.9
1884	16.21	1.21
1883	16.3	0.46
1882	16.05	1.18
1881	15.99	0.44
1880	16.28	0.45
1879	16.36	0.45
1878	15.63	0.43
1877	16.17	0.44
1876	16.32	1.09
1875	16.66	0.43
1874	16.83	0.43
1873	16.67	0.41
1872	16.83	0.41
1871	15.37	0.39
1870	17.07	0.41
1869	17.01	0.41
1868	16.87	1.12
1867	16.85	0.4
1866	17.1	0.41
1865	16.11	0.38
1864	15.94	0.37
1863	16.43	0.38
1862	17.08	0.38
1861	17.27	0.38
1860	17.43	0.39
1859	–	0.61
1858	–	0.61
1857	–	0.61
1856	–	0.58
1855	–	0.56

Each country on its own

Good to know

The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

China vs Iran: National power

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

China vs Iran

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment