China vs South Korea
China vs South Korea: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 5.1% of government spending in China and 10.8% of government spending in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 5.7 percentage points, or 2.11 times that in China.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1995.
- In 2025, China ranked 75 and South Korea ranked 24 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | China | South Korea |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.1 | 10.8 |
| 2024 | 5.1 | 11.3 |
| 2023 | 5 | 11.2 |
| 2022 | 4.9 | 9.7 |
| 2021 | 4.9 | 10.9 |
| 2020 | 4.9 | 11.2 |
| 2019 | 4.9 | 11.9 |
| 2018 | 5 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | 5.3 | 12.3 |
| 2016 | 5.5 | 12.6 |
| 2015 | 5.6 | 12.6 |
| 2014 | 6 | 12.8 |
| 2013 | 6 | 12.6 |
| 2012 | 6 | 12.7 |
| 2011 | 6.2 | 13 |
| 2010 | 7 | 13.2 |
| 2009 | 7.4 | 12.8 |
| 2008 | 7.6 | 12.5 |
| 2007 | 9.6 | 12.1 |
| 2006 | 10.2 | 12.3 |
| 2005 | 10.2 | 12.6 |
| 2004 | 10.9 | 11.7 |
| 2003 | 11 | 12.2 |
| 2002 | 11.2 | 13.7 |
| 2001 | 11.4 | 13.5 |
| 2000 | 11.3 | 14.4 |
| 1999 | 12.5 | 14.5 |
| 1998 | 13.1 | 16.4 |
| 1997 | 14.1 | 18.2 |
| 1996 | 15 | 18.5 |
| 1995 | 15.2 | 20.3 |
| 1994 | 14.1 | – |
| 1993 | 14.8 | – |
| 1992 | 16.9 | – |
| 1991 | 14.3 | – |
| 1990 | 13.8 | – |
| 1989 | 13.2 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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 South Korea
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020South Korea: 569,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025