China vs South Korea

China vs South Korea: Arms exports

Arms exports in 2025: 880 million TIV in China and 2.02 billion TIV in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.14 billion TIV, or 2.3 times that in China.

ChinaSouth Korea
Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

All yearsSince 1990Since 2010
ValuesChange
LinearLog
World
China vs South Korea: Arms exportsArms exports in 2025: 880 million TIV in China and 2.02 billion TIV in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.14 billion TIV, or 2.3 times that in China.
ChinaSouth Korea

Latest figures

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

CountryLatest10 years before
China880 million 20251.84 billion
South Korea2.02 billion 202592 million
World33.5 billion 202528.7 billion

What the numbers say

  • South Korea has been higher since 2025, when it overtook China.
  • The world as a whole: 33.5 billion TIV in 2025.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

YearChinaSouth KoreaWorld
2025880 million2.02 billion33.5 billion
20241.29 billion1.1 billion30.7 billion
20232.75 billion675 million29.5 billion
20222.32 billion231 million33.3 billion
20211.34 billion536 million27.1 billion
2020645 million829 million24.1 billion
20191.6 billion675 million27 billion
20181.39 billion1.05 billion27.4 billion
20171.64 billion700 million31.3 billion
20162.48 billion435 million31.5 billion
20151.84 billion92 million28.7 billion
20141.35 billion218 million27.1 billion
20132.1 billion350 million27.4 billion
20121.5 billion203 million27.9 billion
20111.31 billion328 million29.9 billion
20101.53 billion177 million25.8 billion
20091.14 billion224 million24.4 billion
2008598 million110 million24.1 billion
2007520 million278 million26.5 billion
2006769 million158 million24.5 billion
2005341 million109 million21.4 billion
2004408 million74 million21.3 billion
2003701 million96 million19.2 billion
2002524 million–17.7 billion
2001510 million230 million18.5 billion
2000309 million36 million20.5 billion
1999334 million–25.4 billion
1998349 million32 million27.9 billion
1997427 million25 million28.9 billion
1996764 million24 million23.7 billion
1995981 million30 million22.9 billion
19941.06 billion7 million23 billion
19931.44 billion62 million25.8 billion
1992672 million–24.3 billion
19911.32 billion118 million28.2 billion
1990955 million72 million30.2 billion
19891.06 billion48 million34.9 billion
19881.43 billion54 million36.8 billion
19872.6 billion–39.4 billion
19861.86 billion73 million39 billion
19851.29 billion28 million38.2 billion
19841.94 billion126 million41.6 billion
19831.76 billion–43.9 billion
19821.56 billion65 million46.2 billion
1981707 million130 million45.8 billion
1980943 million105 million42.2 billion
1979553 million105 million38.4 billion
1978611 million–42.4 billion
1977224 million–40 billion
1976580 million–36 billion
1975661 million–37.2 billion
1974508 million–36.6 billion
1973658 million–36.3 billion
19721.25 billion141 million34.5 billion
19711.31 billion–32.9 billion
1970905 million–25.3 billion
1969669 million–28.1 billion
1968746 million–26.1 billion
1967426 million–25.6 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.

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