China vs United Arab Emirates: Arms imports

Arms imports in 2025: 207 million TIV in China and 868 million TIV in United Arab Emirates, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 661 million TIV, or 4.19 times that in China.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

ChinaUnited Arab EmiratesWorld

What the numbers say

United Arab Emirates has been higher since 2022, when it overtook China.
In 2025, China ranked 36 and United Arab Emirates ranked 9 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	United Arab Emirates	World
2025	207 million	868 million	33.3 billion
2024	71 million	1.09 billion	30.6 billion
2023	428 million	918 million	29.5 billion
2022	646 million	756 million	33 billion
2021	685 million	577 million	26.8 billion
2020	775 million	660 million	23.4 billion
2019	1.57 billion	750 million	26.9 billion
2018	2.25 billion	1.17 billion	27.3 billion
2017	1.55 billion	909 million	31.2 billion
2016	1.21 billion	1.49 billion	31.4 billion
2015	1.19 billion	1.69 billion	28.7 billion
2014	1.03 billion	736 million	27 billion
2013	1.22 billion	2.32 billion	27.4 billion
2012	1.54 billion	1.14 billion	27.9 billion
2011	1.03 billion	1.22 billion	29.9 billion
2010	940 million	650 million	25.8 billion
2009	1.38 billion	604 million	24 billion
2008	1.78 billion	730 million	24.1 billion
2007	1.7 billion	819 million	26.5 billion
2006	2.83 billion	1.93 billion	24.4 billion
2005	3.47 billion	2.07 billion	21.3 billion
2004	3.24 billion	1.15 billion	21.3 billion
2003	2.33 billion	676 million	19.2 billion
2002	2.83 billion	223 million	17.7 billion
2001	2.76 billion	186 million	18.3 billion
2000	2.47 billion	244 million	20.5 billion
1999	1.72 billion	441 million	25.3 billion
1998	375 million	757 million	27.9 billion
1997	940 million	690 million	28.9 billion
1996	1.5 billion	481 million	23.7 billion
1995	701 million	426 million	22.9 billion
1994	304 million	571 million	22.8 billion
1993	1.23 billion	582 million	25.8 billion
1992	1.18 billion	205 million	24.3 billion
1991	439 million	237 million	27.8 billion
1990	267 million	561 million	28.6 billion
1989	163 million	663 million	31.7 billion
1988	97 million	45 million	32.9 billion
1987	47 million	195 million	36.2 billion
1986	11 million	132 million	35.5 billion
1985	104 million	145 million	33.2 billion
1984	62 million	310 million	36.8 billion
1983	16 million	163 million	39.1 billion
1982	5 million	155 million	41.4 billion
1981	–	420 million	42 billion
1980	4 million	213 million	37.4 billion
1979	8 million	39 million	33.3 billion
1978	83 million	230 million	39.2 billion
1977	72 million	310 million	37 billion
1976	1 million	275 million	33 billion
1975	1 million	145 million	34.2 billion
1974	1 million	100 million	32.9 billion
1973	1 million	88 million	32.6 billion
1972	1 million	28 million	28.7 billion
1971	1 million	24 million	29.3 billion
1970	1 million	67 million	22.1 billion
1969	–	12 million	24.7 billion
1968	180 million	13 million	22.4 billion
1967	144 million	–	22.1 billion
1966	225 million	–	22.4 billion
1965	257 million	–	23.1 billion
1964	485 million	–	24.2 billion
1963	450 million	–	18.1 billion
1962	415 million	–	15.5 billion
1961	952 million	–	15 billion
1960	2.36 billion	–	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.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

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

China vs United Arab Emirates

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsChina: 0 deaths in 2022United Arab Emirates: 3 deaths in 2022