China vs Spain
China vs Spain: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $335B in China and $37.7B in Spain, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by $297B, or 8.89 times that in Spain.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1989.
- In 2025, China ranked 2 and Spain ranked 15 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | China | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $335B | $37.7B |
| 2024 | $312B | $25.2B |
| 2023 | $292B | $25.6B |
| 2022 | $274B | $22.7B |
| 2021 | $263B | $21.1B |
| 2020 | $256B | $19.7B |
| 2019 | $244B | $19.7B |
| 2018 | $233B | $19.5B |
| 2017 | $220B | $18.8B |
| 2016 | $207B | $17B |
| 2015 | $196B | $18.3B |
| 2014 | $182B | $17.2B |
| 2013 | $168B | $17.2B |
| 2012 | $156B | $19.8B |
| 2011 | $141B | $19.5B |
| 2010 | $132B | $21.2B |
| 2009 | $125B | $21.1B |
| 2008 | $103B | $21.9B |
| 2007 | $94.4B | $22.1B |
| 2006 | $85.9B | $21.3B |
| 2005 | $74.6B | $20.6B |
| 2004 | $68B | $20.3B |
| 2003 | $61.7B | $19.5B |
| 2002 | $57B | $19.2B |
| 2001 | $49.6B | $20.7B |
| 2000 | $41.9B | $20.9B |
| 1999 | $38.7B | $20.2B |
| 1998 | $31.7B | $18.4B |
| 1997 | $29.1B | $17.5B |
| 1996 | $27.2B | $17.7B |
| 1995 | $25.7B | $18.3B |
| 1994 | $24.8B | $18.2B |
| 1993 | $25.7B | $18B |
| 1992 | $28B | $18.4B |
| 1991 | $23B | $18.9B |
| 1990 | $21.6B | $19.7B |
| 1989 | $19.9B | $19.4B |
| 1988 | – | $19.5B |
| 1987 | – | $19.3B |
| 1986 | – | $18.2B |
| 1985 | – | $19.5B |
| 1984 | – | $19.2B |
| 1983 | – | $18.7B |
| 1982 | – | $16.7B |
| 1981 | – | $16.1B |
| 1980 | – | $15.9B |
| 1979 | – | $15.3B |
| 1978 | – | $14.3B |
| 1977 | – | $13.7B |
| 1976 | – | $13.5B |
| 1975 | – | $11.4B |
| 1974 | – | $12.5B |
| 1973 | – | $11.3B |
| 1972 | – | $11.5B |
| 1971 | – | $9.62B |
| 1970 | – | $10B |
| 1969 | – | $9.93B |
| 1968 | – | $8.41B |
| 1967 | – | $6.35B |
| 1966 | – | $6.76B |
| 1965 | – | $5.62B |
| 1964 | – | $5.6B |
| 1963 | – | $4.9B |
| 1962 | – | $5.2B |
| 1961 | – | $4.26B |
| 1960 | – | $4.23B |
| 1959 | – | $3.52B |
| 1958 | – | $3.7B |
| 1957 | – | $4.21B |
| 1956 | – | $4.03B |
| 1955 | – | $3.8B |
| 1954 | – | $3.51B |
| 1953 | – | $3.49B |
| 1952 | – | $3.56B |
| 1951 | – | $2.81B |
| 1950 | – | $2.97B |
| 1949 | – | $3.17B |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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 Spain
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Spain: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Spain: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Spain: 2.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Spain: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Spain: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Spain: 47.9 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Spain: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Spain: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Spain: 80.5% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Spain: 44.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Spain: 20.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Spain: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Spain: 2.13% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Spain: $839 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Spain: 4.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Spain: 199,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Spain: 0.66% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Spain: 0.87% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Spain: 237 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Spain: 341 million TIV in 2025