China vs Italy
China vs Italy: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $335B in China and $45.4B in Italy, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by $290B, or 7.37 times that in Italy.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 1999, when it overtook Italy.
- In 2025, China ranked 2 and Italy ranked 12 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | China | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $335B | $45.4B |
| 2024 | $312B | $37.9B |
| 2023 | $292B | $35.9B |
| 2022 | $274B | $37B |
| 2021 | $263B | $37B |
| 2020 | $256B | $35.3B |
| 2019 | $244B | $28.6B |
| 2018 | $233B | $30B |
| 2017 | $220B | $29B |
| 2016 | $207B | $28.9B |
| 2015 | $196B | $25.7B |
| 2014 | $182B | $26.8B |
| 2013 | $168B | $29.6B |
| 2012 | $156B | $30.8B |
| 2011 | $141B | $33.3B |
| 2010 | $132B | $34B |
| 2009 | $125B | $35B |
| 2008 | $103B | $36.2B |
| 2007 | $94.4B | $34.7B |
| 2006 | $85.9B | $35.8B |
| 2005 | $74.6B | $37B |
| 2004 | $68B | $38.4B |
| 2003 | $61.7B | $38.3B |
| 2002 | $57B | $38B |
| 2001 | $49.6B | $37B |
| 2000 | $41.9B | $37.6B |
| 1999 | $38.7B | $35.2B |
| 1998 | $31.7B | $33.9B |
| 1997 | $29.1B | $32.8B |
| 1996 | $27.2B | $31.3B |
| 1995 | $25.7B | $28.4B |
| 1994 | $24.8B | $31.1B |
| 1993 | $25.7B | $31.9B |
| 1992 | $28B | $31.7B |
| 1991 | $23B | $32.7B |
| 1990 | $21.6B | $32.2B |
| 1989 | $19.9B | $33.5B |
| 1988 | – | $33.2B |
| 1987 | – | $31.3B |
| 1986 | – | $28.7B |
| 1985 | – | $26.9B |
| 1984 | – | $27.2B |
| 1983 | – | $26.4B |
| 1982 | – | $25.9B |
| 1981 | – | $23.2B |
| 1980 | – | $22B |
| 1979 | – | $22.6B |
| 1978 | – | $21.2B |
| 1977 | – | $20.4B |
| 1976 | – | $19B |
| 1975 | – | $19.1B |
| 1974 | – | $20.5B |
| 1973 | – | $20.5B |
| 1972 | – | $20.6B |
| 1971 | – | $18.5B |
| 1970 | – | $16.5B |
| 1969 | – | $15.6B |
| 1968 | – | $15.8B |
| 1967 | – | $15.6B |
| 1966 | – | $15.9B |
| 1965 | – | $14.8B |
| 1964 | – | $14.3B |
| 1963 | – | $14B |
| 1962 | – | $12.5B |
| 1961 | – | $11.3B |
| 1960 | – | $11B |
| 1959 | – | $10.5B |
| 1958 | – | $10.2B |
| 1957 | – | $9.9B |
| 1956 | – | $9.59B |
| 1955 | – | $9.32B |
| 1954 | – | $9.46B |
| 1953 | – | $8.63B |
| 1952 | – | $9.49B |
| 1951 | – | $8.48B |
| 1950 | – | $7.49B |
| 1949 | – | $6.34B |
- 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 Italy
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Italy: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Italy: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Italy: 2.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Italy: 3.46% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Italy: 4.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Italy: 59.5 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Italy: -0.22% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Italy: 1.2 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Italy: 69.7% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Italy: 47.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Italy: 24.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Italy: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Italy: 1.89% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Italy: $813 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Italy: 3.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Italy: 338,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Italy: 0.96% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Italy: 1.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Italy: 566 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Italy: 1.92 billion TIV in 2025