China vs Laos: Arms imports

Arms imports: 207 million TIV in China in 2025 and 7 million TIV in Laos in 2024, by SIPRI estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in China, by 64 million TIV, or 10 times that in Laos.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

ChinaLaosWorld

What the numbers say

China has been higher since 1984, when it overtook Laos.
The world as a whole: 30.6 billion TIV in 2024.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Year	China	Laos	World
2025	207 million	–	33.3 billion
2024	71 million	7 million	30.6 billion
2023	428 million	3 million	29.5 billion
2022	646 million	–	33 billion
2021	685 million	3 million	26.8 billion
2020	775 million	17 million	23.4 billion
2019	1.57 billion	27 million	26.9 billion
2018	2.25 billion	136 million	27.3 billion
2017	1.55 billion	2 million	31.2 billion
2016	1.21 billion	–	31.4 billion
2015	1.19 billion	7 million	28.7 billion
2014	1.03 billion	–	27 billion
2013	1.22 billion	19 million	27.4 billion
2012	1.54 billion	19 million	27.9 billion
2011	1.03 billion	15 million	29.9 billion
2010	940 million	–	25.8 billion
2009	1.38 billion	26 million	24 billion
2008	1.78 billion	7 million	24.1 billion
2007	1.7 billion	–	26.5 billion
2006	2.83 billion	–	24.4 billion
2005	3.47 billion	4 million	21.3 billion
2004	3.24 billion	–	21.3 billion
2003	2.33 billion	0	19.2 billion
2002	2.83 billion	–	17.7 billion
2001	2.76 billion	–	18.3 billion
2000	2.47 billion	7 million	20.5 billion
1999	1.72 billion	30 million	25.3 billion
1998	375 million	22 million	27.9 billion
1997	940 million	43 million	28.9 billion
1996	1.5 billion	–	23.7 billion
1995	701 million	–	22.9 billion
1994	304 million	–	22.8 billion
1993	1.23 billion	–	25.8 billion
1992	1.18 billion	–	24.3 billion
1991	439 million	–	27.8 billion
1990	267 million	8 million	28.6 billion
1989	163 million	–	31.7 billion
1988	97 million	18 million	32.9 billion
1987	47 million	29 million	36.2 billion
1986	11 million	–	35.5 billion
1985	104 million	59 million	33.2 billion
1984	62 million	26 million	36.8 billion
1983	16 million	94 million	39.1 billion
1982	5 million	1 million	41.4 billion
1981	–	54 million	42 billion
1980	4 million	35 million	37.4 billion
1979	8 million	–	33.3 billion
1978	83 million	26 million	39.2 billion
1977	72 million	134 million	37 billion
1976	1 million	21 million	33 billion
1975	1 million	37 million	34.2 billion
1974	1 million	1 million	32.9 billion
1973	1 million	44 million	32.6 billion
1972	1 million	14 million	28.7 billion
1971	1 million	17 million	29.3 billion
1970	1 million	23 million	22.1 billion
1969	–	10 million	24.7 billion
1968	180 million	4 million	22.4 billion
1967	144 million	14 million	22.1 billion
1966	225 million	14 million	22.4 billion
1965	257 million	7 million	23.1 billion
1964	485 million	7 million	24.2 billion
1963	450 million	15 million	18.1 billion
1962	415 million	19 million	15.5 billion
1961	952 million	4 million	15 billion
1960	2.36 billion	3 million	15.7 billion

Each country on its own

Good to know

Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

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

China vs Laos: Arms imports

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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