China vs United States
China vs United States: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $335B in China and $929B in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $594B, or 2.77 times that in China.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1989.
- In 2025, China ranked 2 and United States ranked 1 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | China | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $335B | $929B |
| 2024 | $312B | $1.01T |
| 2023 | $292B | $943B |
| 2022 | $274B | $923B |
| 2021 | $263B | $933B |
| 2020 | $256B | $943B |
| 2019 | $244B | $901B |
| 2018 | $233B | $853B |
| 2017 | $220B | $828B |
| 2016 | $207B | $836B |
| 2015 | $196B | $839B |
| 2014 | $182B | $858B |
| 2013 | $168B | $915B |
| 2012 | $156B | $991B |
| 2011 | $141B | $1.05T |
| 2010 | $132B | $1.06T |
| 2009 | $125B | $1.03T |
| 2008 | $103B | $957B |
| 2007 | $94.4B | $892B |
| 2006 | $85.9B | $869B |
| 2005 | $74.6B | $857B |
| 2004 | $68B | $819B |
| 2003 | $61.7B | $751B |
| 2002 | $57B | $660B |
| 2001 | $49.6B | $588B |
| 2000 | $41.9B | $583B |
| 1999 | $38.7B | $561B |
| 1998 | $31.7B | $560B |
| 1997 | $29.1B | $573B |
| 1996 | $27.2B | $576B |
| 1995 | $25.7B | $609B |
| 1994 | $24.8B | $652B |
| 1993 | $25.7B | $688B |
| 1992 | $28B | $727B |
| 1991 | $23B | $690B |
| 1990 | $21.6B | $781B |
| 1989 | $19.9B | $815B |
| 1988 | – | $821B |
| 1987 | – | $839B |
| 1986 | – | $846B |
| 1985 | – | $793B |
| 1984 | – | $740B |
| 1983 | – | $704B |
| 1982 | – | $721B |
| 1981 | – | $609B |
| 1980 | – | $547B |
| 1979 | – | $548B |
| 1978 | – | $545B |
| 1977 | – | $542B |
| 1976 | – | $522B |
| 1975 | – | $537B |
| 1974 | – | $568B |
| 1973 | – | $575B |
| 1972 | – | $605B |
| 1971 | – | $606B |
| 1970 | – | $674B |
| 1969 | – | $727B |
| 1968 | – | $761B |
| 1967 | – | $737B |
| 1966 | – | $642B |
| 1965 | – | $543B |
| 1964 | – | $540B |
| 1963 | – | $559B |
| 1962 | – | $567B |
| 1961 | – | $523B |
| 1960 | – | $502B |
| 1959 | – | $515B |
| 1958 | – | $511B |
| 1957 | – | $514B |
| 1956 | – | $500B |
| 1955 | – | $493B |
| 1954 | – | $521B |
| 1953 | – | $604B |
| 1952 | – | $587B |
| 1951 | – | $416B |
| 1950 | – | $195B |
| 1949 | – | $181B |
- 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 United States
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025