China vs South Korea: Arms imports
Arms imports in 2025: 207 million TIV in China and 222 million TIV in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 15 million TIV, or 1.07 times that in China.
ChinaSouth Korea
Watch it change on the mapSIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI · log scale
Latest figures
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 207 million 2025 | 1.19 billion | 36 of 110 |
| South Korea | 222 million 2025 | 268 million | 35 of 110 |
| World | 33.3 billion 2025 | 28.7 billion |
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2024, when it overtook China.
- In 2025, China ranked 36 and South Korea ranked 35 of 110 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.
Every year
SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI
| Year | China | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 207 million | 222 million | 33.3 billion |
| 2024 | 71 million | 1.03 billion | 30.6 billion |
| 2023 | 428 million | 218 million | 29.5 billion |
| 2022 | 646 million | 423 million | 33 billion |
| 2021 | 685 million | 812 million | 26.8 billion |
| 2020 | 775 million | 1.27 billion | 23.4 billion |
| 2019 | 1.57 billion | 1.61 billion | 26.9 billion |
| 2018 | 2.25 billion | 1.03 billion | 27.3 billion |
| 2017 | 1.55 billion | 962 million | 31.2 billion |
| 2016 | 1.21 billion | 1.04 billion | 31.4 billion |
| 2015 | 1.19 billion | 268 million | 28.7 billion |
| 2014 | 1.03 billion | 742 million | 27 billion |
| 2013 | 1.22 billion | 189 million | 27.4 billion |
| 2012 | 1.54 billion | 1.08 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 2011 | 1.03 billion | 1.57 billion | 29.9 billion |
| 2010 | 940 million | 1.3 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 2009 | 1.38 billion | 798 million | 24 billion |
| 2008 | 1.78 billion | 1.69 billion | 24.1 billion |
| 2007 | 1.7 billion | 1.73 billion | 26.5 billion |
| 2006 | 2.83 billion | 1.66 billion | 24.4 billion |
| 2005 | 3.47 billion | 801 million | 21.3 billion |
| 2004 | 3.24 billion | 1.06 billion | 21.3 billion |
| 2003 | 2.33 billion | 767 million | 19.2 billion |
| 2002 | 2.83 billion | 519 million | 17.7 billion |
| 2001 | 2.76 billion | 768 million | 18.3 billion |
| 2000 | 2.47 billion | 1.39 billion | 20.5 billion |
| 1999 | 1.72 billion | 1.64 billion | 25.3 billion |
| 1998 | 375 million | 1.42 billion | 27.9 billion |
| 1997 | 940 million | 1.22 billion | 28.9 billion |
| 1996 | 1.5 billion | 1.97 billion | 23.7 billion |
| 1995 | 701 million | 1.95 billion | 22.9 billion |
| 1994 | 304 million | 1.01 billion | 22.8 billion |
| 1993 | 1.23 billion | 1.01 billion | 25.8 billion |
| 1992 | 1.18 billion | 782 million | 24.3 billion |
| 1991 | 439 million | 908 million | 27.8 billion |
| 1990 | 267 million | 1.2 billion | 28.6 billion |
| 1989 | 163 million | 1.84 billion | 31.7 billion |
| 1988 | 97 million | 1.24 billion | 32.9 billion |
| 1987 | 47 million | 773 million | 36.2 billion |
| 1986 | 11 million | 857 million | 35.5 billion |
| 1985 | 104 million | 760 million | 33.2 billion |
| 1984 | 62 million | 524 million | 36.8 billion |
| 1983 | 16 million | 496 million | 39.1 billion |
| 1982 | 5 million | 673 million | 41.4 billion |
| 1981 | – | 872 million | 42 billion |
| 1980 | 4 million | 877 million | 37.4 billion |
| 1979 | 8 million | 1.32 billion | 33.3 billion |
| 1978 | 83 million | 399 million | 39.2 billion |
| 1977 | 72 million | 1.2 billion | 37 billion |
| 1976 | 1 million | 556 million | 33 billion |
| 1975 | 1 million | 661 million | 34.2 billion |
| 1974 | 1 million | 458 million | 32.9 billion |
| 1973 | 1 million | 269 million | 32.6 billion |
| 1972 | 1 million | 413 million | 28.7 billion |
| 1971 | 1 million | 250 million | 29.3 billion |
| 1970 | 1 million | 100 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1969 | – | 586 million | 24.7 billion |
| 1968 | 180 million | 359 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1967 | 144 million | 137 million | 22.1 billion |
| 1966 | 225 million | 578 million | 22.4 billion |
| 1965 | 257 million | 632 million | 23.1 billion |
| 1964 | 485 million | 332 million | 24.2 billion |
| 1963 | 450 million | 214 million | 18.1 billion |
| 1962 | 415 million | 65 million | 15.5 billion |
| 1961 | 952 million | 113 million | 15 billion |
| 1960 | 2.36 billion | 122 million | 15.7 billion |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Major weapons the country received, 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.
- Ranks count the 110 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