China vs Saudi Arabia
China vs Saudi Arabia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $335B in China and $81.5B in Saudi Arabia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by $254B, or 4.11 times that in Saudi Arabia.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 1999, when it overtook Saudi Arabia.
- In 2025, China ranked 2 and Saudi Arabia ranked 7 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | China | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $335B | $81.5B |
| 2024 | $312B | $80.3B |
| 2023 | $292B | $79.1B |
| 2022 | $274B | $73.8B |
| 2021 | $263B | $67.4B |
| 2020 | $256B | $71B |
| 2019 | $244B | $74.3B |
| 2018 | $233B | $83.8B |
| 2017 | $220B | $81B |
| 2016 | $207B | $72.6B |
| 2015 | $196B | $102B |
| 2014 | $182B | $95.2B |
| 2013 | $168B | $80.7B |
| 2012 | $156B | $70.5B |
| 2011 | $141B | $62.3B |
| 2010 | $132B | $61.4B |
| 2009 | $125B | $59B |
| 2008 | $103B | $57.4B |
| 2007 | $94.4B | $58.5B |
| 2006 | $85.9B | $50.8B |
| 2005 | $74.6B | $44.6B |
| 2004 | $68B | $36.9B |
| 2003 | $61.7B | $33.3B |
| 2002 | $57B | $33B |
| 2001 | $49.6B | $37.6B |
| 2000 | $41.9B | $35.3B |
| 1999 | $38.7B | $32.1B |
| 1998 | $31.7B | $36B |
| 1997 | $29.1B | $31.2B |
| 1996 | $27.2B | $23B |
| 1995 | $25.7B | $23B |
| 1994 | $24.8B | $26.1B |
| 1993 | $25.7B | $30.2B |
| 1992 | $28B | $28.5B |
| 1991 | $23B | $30.4B |
| 1990 | $21.6B | $31.8B |
| 1989 | $19.9B | $25.3B |
| 1988 | – | $26.8B |
| 1987 | – | $29.3B |
| 1985 | – | $32.9B |
| 1984 | – | $39.9B |
| 1983 | – | $37.1B |
| 1982 | – | $45.7B |
| 1981 | – | $41B |
| 1980 | – | $35.2B |
| 1979 | – | $31.5B |
| 1978 | – | $24.5B |
| 1977 | – | $21.6B |
| 1973 | – | $7.36B |
| 1972 | – | $5.7B |
| 1971 | – | $4.06B |
| 1970 | – | $3.42B |
| 1969 | – | $3.12B |
| 1968 | – | $2.55B |
| 1967 | – | $2.57B |
| 1966 | – | $2.34B |
| 1965 | – | $1.41B |
| 1964 | – | $982M |
| 1963 | – | $929M |
- 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 Saudi Arabia
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 78.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Saudi Arabia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Saudi Arabia: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Saudi Arabia: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Saudi Arabia: 2.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 33.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.39% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Saudi Arabia: 84.6% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Saudi Arabia: 29.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Saudi Arabia: 2.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Saudi Arabia: 9.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Saudi Arabia: 6.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Saudi Arabia: $2,428 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Saudi Arabia: 23.5% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Saudi Arabia: 282,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Saudi Arabia: 1.34% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Saudi Arabia: 1.92% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3.04 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Saudi Arabia: 3 million TIV in 2023