China vs United States

China vs United States: Arms imports

Arms imports in 2025: 207 million TIV in China and 745 million TIV in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 538 million TIV, or 3.6 times that in China.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

China vs United States: Arms importsArms imports in 2025: 207 million TIV in China and 745 million TIV in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 538 million TIV, or 3.6 times that in China.
ChinaUnited StatesWorld

What the numbers say

  • United States has been higher since 2020, when it overtook China.
  • In 2025, China ranked 36 and United States ranked 13 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

YearChinaUnited StatesWorld
2025207 million745 million33.3 billion
202471 million1.05 billion30.6 billion
2023428 million891 million29.5 billion
2022646 million846 million33 billion
2021685 million922 million26.8 billion
2020775 million806 million23.4 billion
20191.57 billion882 million26.9 billion
20182.25 billion379 million27.3 billion
20171.55 billion504 million31.2 billion
20161.21 billion447 million31.4 billion
20151.19 billion482 million28.7 billion
20141.03 billion568 million27 billion
20131.22 billion767 million27.4 billion
20121.54 billion1.14 billion27.9 billion
20111.03 billion937 million29.9 billion
2010940 million969 million25.8 billion
20091.38 billion939 million24 billion
20081.78 billion936 million24.1 billion
20071.7 billion842 million26.5 billion
20062.83 billion706 million24.4 billion
20053.47 billion582 million21.3 billion
20043.24 billion596 million21.3 billion
20032.33 billion630 million19.2 billion
20022.83 billion515 million17.7 billion
20012.76 billion508 million18.3 billion
20002.47 billion333 million20.5 billion
19991.72 billion220 million25.3 billion
1998375 million262 million27.9 billion
1997940 million610 million28.9 billion
19961.5 billion601 million23.7 billion
1995701 million809 million22.9 billion
1994304 million951 million22.8 billion
19931.23 billion968 million25.8 billion
19921.18 billion540 million24.3 billion
1991439 million515 million27.8 billion
1990267 million363 million28.6 billion
1989163 million1.78 billion31.7 billion
198897 million1.79 billion32.9 billion
198747 million2 billion36.2 billion
198611 million424 million35.5 billion
1985104 million655 million33.2 billion
198462 million381 million36.8 billion
198316 million463 million39.1 billion
19825 million248 million41.4 billion
1981–531 million42 billion
19804 million380 million37.4 billion
19798 million253 million33.3 billion
197883 million369 million39.2 billion
197772 million384 million37 billion
19761 million499 million33 billion
19751 million388 million34.2 billion
19741 million586 million32.9 billion
19731 million656 million32.6 billion
19721 million769 million28.7 billion
19711 million578 million29.3 billion
19701 million38 million22.1 billion
1969–50 million24.7 billion
1968180 million62 million22.4 billion
1967144 million88 million22.1 billion
1966225 million89 million22.4 billion
1965257 million170 million23.1 billion
1964485 million358 million24.2 billion
1963450 million283 million18.1 billion
1962415 million236 million15.5 billion
1961952 million198 million15 billion
19602.36 billion181 million15.7 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

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