China vs Russia
China vs Russia: Arms exports
Arms exports in 2025: 880 million TIV in China and 1.94 billion TIV in Russia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Russia, by 1.06 billion TIV, or 2.21 times that in China.
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Russia has been higher since 2024, when it overtook China.
- The world as a whole: 33.5 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | China | Russia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 880 million | 1.94 billion | 33.5 billion |
| 2024 | 1.29 billion | 1.99 billion | 30.7 billion |
| 2023 | 2.75 billion | 1.51 billion | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | 2.32 billion | 2.57 billion | 33.3 billion |
| 2021 | 1.34 billion | 2.4 billion | 27.1 billion |
| 2020 | 645 million | 3.66 billion | 24.1 billion |
| 2019 | 1.6 billion | 5.37 billion | 27 billion |
| 2018 | 1.39 billion | 7.15 billion | 27.4 billion |
| 2017 | 1.64 billion | 6.4 billion | 31.3 billion |
| 2016 | 2.48 billion | 6.75 billion | 31.5 billion |
| 2015 | 1.84 billion | 5.8 billion | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 1.35 billion | 5.4 billion | 27.1 billion |
| 2013 | 2.1 billion | 7.89 billion | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | 1.5 billion | 8.34 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 1.31 billion | 8.79 billion | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 1.53 billion | 6.23 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | 1.14 billion | 5.13 billion | 24.4 billion |
| 2008 | 598 million | 6 billion | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 520 million | 5.6 billion | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 769 million | 5.18 billion | 24.5 billion |
| 2005 | 341 million | 5.2 billion | 21.4 billion |
| 2004 | 408 million | 6.35 billion | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 701 million | 5.27 billion | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 524 million | 5.74 billion | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | 510 million | 5.25 billion | 18.5 billion |
| 2000 | 309 million | 4.5 billion | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 334 million | 4.41 billion | 25.4 billion |
| 1998 | 349 million | 2.12 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 427 million | 3.45 billion | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 764 million | 3.64 billion | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 981 million | 3.83 billion | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 1.06 billion | 1.54 billion | 23 billion |
| 1993 | 1.44 billion | 3.49 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 672 million | 2.64 billion | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 1.32 billion | – | 28.2 billion |
| 1990 | 955 million | – | 30.2 billion |
| 1989 | 1.06 billion | – | 34.9 billion |
| 1988 | 1.43 billion | – | 36.8 billion |
| 1987 | 2.6 billion | – | 39.4 billion |
| 1986 | 1.86 billion | – | 39 billion |
| 1985 | 1.29 billion | – | 38.2 billion |
| 1984 | 1.94 billion | – | 41.6 billion |
| 1983 | 1.76 billion | – | 43.9 billion |
| 1982 | 1.56 billion | – | 46.2 billion |
| 1981 | 707 million | – | 45.8 billion |
| 1980 | 943 million | – | 42.2 billion |
| 1979 | 553 million | – | 38.4 billion |
| 1978 | 611 million | – | 42.4 billion |
| 1977 | 224 million | – | 40 billion |
| 1976 | 580 million | – | 36 billion |
| 1975 | 661 million | – | 37.2 billion |
| 1974 | 508 million | – | 36.6 billion |
| 1973 | 658 million | – | 36.3 billion |
| 1972 | 1.25 billion | – | 34.5 billion |
| 1971 | 1.31 billion | – | 32.9 billion |
| 1970 | 905 million | – | 25.3 billion |
| 1969 | 669 million | – | 28.1 billion |
| 1968 | 746 million | – | 26.1 billion |
| 1967 | 426 million | – | 25.6 billion |
| 1966 | 628 million | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1965 | 387 million | – | 25.8 billion |
| 1964 | 75 million | – | 26.7 billion |
| 1963 | 12 million | – | 20.3 billion |
| 1962 | 47 million | – | 17.5 billion |
| 1961 | 35 million | – | 16.4 billion |
| 1960 | 285 million | – | 17.6 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country sent abroad, 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.
- 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 Russia
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Russia: 73.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Russia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Russia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Russia: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Russia: 25.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Russia: 145 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Russia: -0.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Russia: 1.45 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Russia: 75.3% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Russia: 39.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Russia: 16.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Russia: 0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Russia: 7.5% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Russia: $158B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Russia: $1,318 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Russia: 19.8% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Russia: 1.45 million people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Russia: 3.82% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Russia: 1.98% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Russia: 129 million TIV in 2025