China vs Singapore
China vs Singapore: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.73% of GDP in China and 3.05% of GDP in Singapore, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Singapore, by 1.32 percentage points, or 1.77 times that in China.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Singapore has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1989.
- In 2025, China ranked 74 and Singapore ranked 27 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | China | Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.73 | 3.05 |
| 2024 | 1.66 | 2.8 |
| 2023 | 1.62 | 2.77 |
| 2022 | 1.59 | 2.36 |
| 2021 | 1.57 | 2.52 |
| 2020 | 1.72 | 2.81 |
| 2019 | 1.65 | 2.77 |
| 2018 | 1.64 | 2.81 |
| 2017 | 1.68 | 2.97 |
| 2016 | 1.73 | 3.09 |
| 2015 | 1.74 | 3.05 |
| 2014 | 1.71 | 3.05 |
| 2013 | 1.68 | 3.04 |
| 2012 | 1.67 | 3.11 |
| 2011 | 1.63 | 3.19 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 3.38 |
| 2009 | 1.86 | 3.88 |
| 2008 | 1.69 | 3.85 |
| 2007 | 1.72 | 3.6 |
| 2006 | 1.84 | 3.92 |
| 2005 | 1.85 | 4.28 |
| 2004 | 1.91 | 4.38 |
| 2003 | 1.97 | 4.84 |
| 2002 | 2.03 | 4.89 |
| 2001 | 1.96 | 4.8 |
| 2000 | 1.82 | 4.51 |
| 1999 | 1.86 | 5.21 |
| 1998 | 1.64 | 5.21 |
| 1997 | 1.62 | 4.45 |
| 1996 | 1.64 | 4.26 |
| 1995 | 1.68 | 4.18 |
| 1994 | 1.74 | 3.79 |
| 1993 | 1.99 | 4.09 |
| 1992 | 2.47 | 4.47 |
| 1991 | 2.31 | 4.45 |
| 1990 | 2.45 | 4.63 |
| 1989 | 2.45 | 4.49 |
| 1988 | – | 4.55 |
| 1987 | – | 4.87 |
| 1986 | – | 5.44 |
| 1985 | – | 5.66 |
| 1984 | – | 4.7 |
| 1983 | – | 4.07 |
| 1982 | – | 4.65 |
| 1981 | – | 4.74 |
| 1980 | – | 4.64 |
| 1979 | – | 4.65 |
| 1978 | – | 5.2 |
| 1977 | – | 5.68 |
| 1976 | – | 5.04 |
| 1975 | – | 4.65 |
| 1974 | – | 4.29 |
| 1973 | – | 4.71 |
| 1972 | – | 5.09 |
| 1971 | – | 5.64 |
| 1970 | – | 5.4 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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 Singapore
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Singapore: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Singapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Singapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Singapore: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Singapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Singapore: 5.79 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Singapore: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Singapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Singapore: 100% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Singapore: 35.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Singapore: 13.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Singapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Singapore: $16.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Singapore: $2,980 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Singapore: 18% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Singapore: 59,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Singapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Singapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Singapore: 57 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Singapore: 79 million TIV in 2025