China vs Vietnam
China vs Vietnam: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 5.1% of government spending in China and 9.9% of government spending in Vietnam, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 4.8 percentage points, or 1.94 times that in China.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher since 2009, when it overtook China.
- In 2025, China ranked 75 and Vietnam ranked 29 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | China | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.1 | 9.9 |
| 2024 | 5.1 | 9.4 |
| 2023 | 5 | 9.8 |
| 2022 | 4.9 | 9.4 |
| 2021 | 4.9 | 10.2 |
| 2020 | 4.9 | 9.7 |
| 2019 | 4.9 | 11 |
| 2018 | 5 | 10.9 |
| 2017 | 5.3 | 10.6 |
| 2016 | 5.5 | 11.1 |
| 2015 | 5.6 | 10.6 |
| 2014 | 6 | 10.6 |
| 2013 | 6 | 10.6 |
| 2012 | 6 | 10.3 |
| 2011 | 6.2 | 8.3 |
| 2010 | 7 | 7.8 |
| 2009 | 7.4 | 8.6 |
| 2008 | 7.6 | 7.6 |
| 2007 | 9.6 | 8.1 |
| 2006 | 10.2 | 7.4 |
| 2005 | 10.2 | 6.8 |
| 2004 | 10.9 | 7.5 |
| 2003 | 11 | 7.6 |
| 2002 | 11.2 | – |
| 2001 | 11.4 | – |
| 2000 | 11.3 | – |
| 1999 | 12.5 | – |
| 1998 | 13.1 | – |
| 1997 | 14.1 | – |
| 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 Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018