China vs Spain

China vs Spain: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 1.73% of GDP in China and 2.13% of GDP in Spain, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Spain, by 0.4 percentage points, or 1.23 times that in China.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

China vs Spain: Military spendingMilitary spending in 2025: 1.73% of GDP in China and 2.13% of GDP in Spain, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Spain, by 0.4 percentage points, or 1.23 times that in China.
ChinaSpainSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

  • Spain has been higher since 2025, when it overtook China.
  • In 2025, China ranked 74 and Spain ranked 51 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearChinaSpain
20251.732.13
20241.661.46
20231.621.54
20221.591.43
20211.571.37
20201.721.36
20191.651.23
20181.641.25
20171.681.22
20161.731.13
20151.741.26
20141.711.25
20131.681.27
20121.671.42
20111.631.33
20101.71.38
20091.861.36
20081.691.37
20071.721.36
20061.841.37
20051.851.39
20041.911.43
20031.971.42
20022.031.46
20011.961.63
20001.821.73
19991.861.76
19981.641.76
19971.621.72
19961.641.81
19951.681.92
19941.742
19931.992.01
19922.472.04
19912.312.13
19902.452.29
19892.452.36
1988–2.49
1987–2.62
1986–2.63
1985–2.96
1984–2.97
1983–2.94
1982–2.66
1981–2.58
1980–2.49
1979–2.5
1978–2.36
1977–2.31
1976–2.32
1975–2
1974–2.21
1973–2.11
1972–2.32
1971–2.11
1970–2.29
1969–2.43
1968–2.3
1967–1.85
1966–2.08
1965–1.89
1964–1.93
1963–1.97
1962–2.27
1961–2.03
1960–2.25
1959–1.91
1958–1.93
1957–2.24
1956–2.26
1955–2.31
1954–2.29
  • 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

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