China vs Saudi Arabia

China vs Saudi Arabia: Arms exports

Arms exports: 880 million TIV in China in 2025 and 3 million TIV in Saudi Arabia in 2023, by SIPRI estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in China, by 2.74 billion TIV, or 920 times that in Saudi Arabia.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

China vs Saudi Arabia: Arms exportsArms exports: 880 million TIV in China in 2025 and 3 million TIV in Saudi Arabia in 2023, by SIPRI estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in China, by 2.74 billion TIV, or 920 times that in Saudi Arabia.
ChinaSaudi ArabiaWorld

What the numbers say

  • China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1967.
  • The world as a whole: 29.5 billion TIV in 2023.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

YearChinaSaudi ArabiaWorld
2025880 million–33.5 billion
20241.29 billion–30.7 billion
20232.75 billion3 million29.5 billion
20222.32 billion–33.3 billion
20211.34 billion–27.1 billion
2020645 million–24.1 billion
20191.6 billion–27 billion
20181.39 billion–27.4 billion
20171.64 billion–31.3 billion
20162.48 billion5 million31.5 billion
20151.84 billion3 million28.7 billion
20141.35 billion–27.1 billion
20132.1 billion–27.4 billion
20121.5 billion–27.9 billion
20111.31 billion58 million29.9 billion
20101.53 billion1 million25.8 billion
20091.14 billion–24.4 billion
2008598 million–24.1 billion
2007520 million–26.5 billion
2006769 million18 million24.5 billion
2005341 million–21.4 billion
2004408 million–21.3 billion
2003701 million–19.2 billion
2002524 million–17.7 billion
2001510 million–18.5 billion
2000309 million–20.5 billion
1999334 million–25.4 billion
1998349 million–27.9 billion
1997427 million–28.9 billion
1996764 million1 million23.7 billion
1995981 million–22.9 billion
19941.06 billion–23 billion
19931.44 billion12 million25.8 billion
1992672 million–24.3 billion
19911.32 billion–28.2 billion
1990955 million–30.2 billion
19891.06 billion–34.9 billion
19881.43 billion–36.8 billion
19872.6 billion–39.4 billion
19861.86 billion–39 billion
19851.29 billion4 million38.2 billion
19841.94 billion6 million41.6 billion
19831.76 billion–43.9 billion
19821.56 billion–46.2 billion
1981707 million33 million45.8 billion
1980943 million–42.2 billion
1979553 million5 million38.4 billion
1978611 million–42.4 billion
1977224 million13 million40 billion
1976580 million036 billion
1975661 million–37.2 billion
1974508 million–36.6 billion
1973658 million–36.3 billion
19721.25 billion2 million34.5 billion
19711.31 billion–32.9 billion
1970905 million–25.3 billion
1969669 million–28.1 billion
1968746 million3 million26.1 billion
1967426 million4 million25.6 billion
1966628 million–25.8 billion
1965387 million–25.8 billion
196475 million–26.7 billion
196312 million–20.3 billion
196247 million–17.5 billion
196135 million–16.4 billion
1960285 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

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