China vs United Arab Emirates
China vs United Arab Emirates: Military spending
Military spending: 1.73% of GDP in China in 2025 and 5.64% of GDP in United Arab Emirates in 2014, by SIPRI estimates. In 2014 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 3.94 percentage points, or 3.31 times that in China.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Arab Emirates has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1997.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | China | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.73 | – |
| 2024 | 1.66 | – |
| 2023 | 1.62 | – |
| 2022 | 1.59 | – |
| 2021 | 1.57 | – |
| 2020 | 1.72 | – |
| 2019 | 1.65 | – |
| 2018 | 1.64 | – |
| 2017 | 1.68 | – |
| 2016 | 1.73 | – |
| 2015 | 1.74 | – |
| 2014 | 1.71 | 5.64 |
| 2013 | 1.68 | 6.04 |
| 2012 | 1.67 | 5.08 |
| 2011 | 1.63 | 5.47 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 6.04 |
| 2009 | 1.86 | 5.46 |
| 2008 | 1.69 | 3.67 |
| 2007 | 1.72 | 3.28 |
| 2006 | 1.84 | 3.23 |
| 2005 | 1.85 | 3.66 |
| 2004 | 1.91 | 4.61 |
| 2003 | 1.97 | 4.69 |
| 2002 | 2.03 | 4.88 |
| 2001 | 1.96 | 5.61 |
| 2000 | 1.82 | 8.32 |
| 1999 | 1.86 | 7.67 |
| 1998 | 1.64 | 8.63 |
| 1997 | 1.62 | 6.76 |
| 1996 | 1.64 | – |
| 1995 | 1.68 | – |
| 1994 | 1.74 | – |
| 1993 | 1.99 | – |
| 1992 | 2.47 | – |
| 1991 | 2.31 | – |
| 1990 | 2.45 | – |
| 1989 | 2.45 | – |
- 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
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 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
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025United Arab Emirates: 17% of government spending 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