China vs United Arab Emirates
China vs United Arab Emirates: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending: 5.1% of government spending in China in 2025 and 17% of government spending in United Arab Emirates in 2014, by SIPRI estimates. In 2014 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 11 percentage points, or 2.84 times that in China.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Arab Emirates has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1997.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | China | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.1 | – |
| 2024 | 5.1 | – |
| 2023 | 5 | – |
| 2022 | 4.9 | – |
| 2021 | 4.9 | – |
| 2020 | 4.9 | – |
| 2019 | 4.9 | – |
| 2018 | 5 | – |
| 2017 | 5.3 | – |
| 2016 | 5.5 | – |
| 2015 | 5.6 | – |
| 2014 | 6 | 17 |
| 2013 | 6 | 19.9 |
| 2012 | 6 | 17.4 |
| 2011 | 6.2 | 17.6 |
| 2010 | 7 | 18.7 |
| 2009 | 7.4 | 15.6 |
| 2008 | 7.6 | 16.7 |
| 2007 | 9.6 | 18.6 |
| 2006 | 10.2 | 20.6 |
| 2005 | 10.2 | 23.2 |
| 2004 | 10.9 | 26 |
| 2003 | 11 | 23.4 |
| 2002 | 11.2 | 22.9 |
| 2001 | 11.4 | 22.3 |
| 2000 | 11.3 | 26.2 |
| 1999 | 12.5 | 20.7 |
| 1998 | 13.1 | 20.6 |
| 1997 | 14.1 | 19.2 |
| 1996 | 15 | – |
| 1995 | 15.2 | – |
| 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 United Arab Emirates
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 82.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024United Arab Emirates: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Arab Emirates: 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017United Arab Emirates: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United Arab Emirates: 5.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023United Arab Emirates: 3.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.2 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025United Arab Emirates: 86% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 28.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personChina: $13,790 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $41,610 in 2024
- GDP growthChina: 5% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 6.2% a year in 2025
- InflationChina: 0.1% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 1.3% a year in 2025
- Government debtChina: 98.6% of GDP in 2025United Arab Emirates: 33.9% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025United Arab Emirates: 5.64% of GDP in 2014
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025United Arab Emirates: $27.8B in 2014
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $2,840 in 2014
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020United Arab Emirates: 63,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022United Arab Emirates: 0.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020United Arab Emirates: 1.02% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 868 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 33 million TIV in 2025