China
National power in China
National power in China: 17.43% of world capability in 1860 and 23.41% of world capability in 2022, by Correlates of War estimates.
- Latest, 2022
- 23.41% of world capability
- Since 1860
- +5.98 percentage points
- Rank, 2022
- 1 of 195
- counting from the highest
% of world capability · Correlates of War
What the numbers say
- The highest was 23.8% of world capability in 2020, the lowest 8.35% of world capability in 1916.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | China |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 23.41 |
| 2021 | 23.29 |
| 2020 | 23.8 |
| 2019 | 22.91 |
| 2018 | 22.6 |
| 2017 | 22.2 |
| 2016 | 23.08 |
| 2015 | 23.14 |
| 2014 | 22.9 |
| 2013 | 22.82 |
| 2012 | 22.04 |
| 2011 | 21.42 |
| 2010 | 20.92 |
| 2009 | 20.95 |
| 2008 | 19.06 |
| 2007 | 18.69 |
| 2006 | 17.94 |
| 2005 | 17.19 |
| 2004 | 16.8 |
| 2003 | 16.03 |
| 2002 | 15.35 |
| 2001 | 16.54 |
| 2000 | 16.22 |
| 1999 | 15.74 |
| 1998 | 15.41 |
| 1997 | 14.91 |
| 1996 | 14.64 |
| 1995 | 14.28 |
| 1994 | 13.71 |
| 1993 | 13.17 |
| 1992 | 12.38 |
| 1991 | 11.85 |
| 1990 | 11.18 |
| 1989 | 11.45 |
| 1988 | 11.29 |
| 1987 | 11.16 |
| 1986 | 11.4 |
| 1985 | 11.35 |
| 1984 | 11.61 |
| 1983 | 11.9 |
| 1982 | 11.88 |
| 1981 | 11.99 |
| 1980 | 11.95 |
| 1979 | 11.98 |
| 1978 | 12.1 |
| 1977 | 11.83 |
| 1976 | 11.77 |
| 1975 | 11.87 |
| 1974 | 11.69 |
| 1973 | 11.34 |
| 1972 | 11.3 |
| 1971 | 11.32 |
| 1970 | 11.27 |
| 1969 | 10.82 |
| 1968 | 10.59 |
| 1967 | 10.56 |
| 1966 | 10.97 |
| 1965 | 10.89 |
| 1964 | 11 |
| 1963 | 10.71 |
| 1962 | 10.36 |
| 1961 | 10.49 |
| 1960 | 11.93 |
| 1959 | 11.7 |
| 1958 | 10.84 |
| 1957 | 9.95 |
| 1956 | 9.81 |
| 1955 | 9.13 |
| 1954 | 9.44 |
| 1953 | 9.51 |
| 1952 | 9.64 |
| 1951 | 10.36 |
| 1950 | 11.85 |
| 1949 | 10.41 |
| 1948 | 11.51 |
| 1947 | 11.92 |
| 1946 | 13.27 |
| 1945 | 9.35 |
| 1944 | 9.74 |
| 1943 | 9.99 |
| 1942 | 9.89 |
| 1941 | 9.87 |
| 1940 | 9.26 |
| 1939 | 9.71 |
| 1938 | 9.32 |
| 1937 | 11.72 |
| 1936 | 11.12 |
| 1935 | 11.09 |
| 1934 | 12 |
| 1933 | 12.26 |
| 1932 | 12.55 |
| 1931 | 12.54 |
| 1930 | 12.59 |
| 1929 | 12.66 |
| 1928 | 12.68 |
| 1927 | 13.21 |
| 1926 | 16.23 |
| 1925 | 13.83 |
| 1924 | 16.29 |
| 1923 | 14.72 |
| 1922 | 13.64 |
| 1921 | 12.89 |
| 1920 | 12.75 |
| 1919 | 10.35 |
| 1918 | 8.62 |
| 1917 | 10.28 |
| 1916 | 8.35 |
| 1915 | 10.02 |
| 1914 | 9.22 |
| 1913 | 9.64 |
| 1912 | 11.36 |
| 1911 | 11.34 |
| 1910 | 13.64 |
| 1909 | 13.72 |
| 1908 | 13.93 |
| 1907 | 14.18 |
| 1906 | 11.87 |
| 1905 | 11.01 |
| 1904 | 11.77 |
| 1903 | 11.85 |
| 1902 | 11.86 |
| 1901 | 11.57 |
| 1900 | 12 |
| 1899 | 12.48 |
| 1898 | 12.35 |
| 1897 | 12.14 |
| 1896 | 12.43 |
| 1895 | 15.22 |
| 1894 | 15.41 |
| 1893 | 15.39 |
| 1892 | 15.46 |
| 1891 | 15.47 |
| 1890 | 15.56 |
| 1889 | 15.59 |
| 1888 | 15.64 |
| 1887 | 15.8 |
| 1886 | 16.04 |
| 1885 | 16.1 |
| 1884 | 16.21 |
| 1883 | 16.3 |
| 1882 | 16.05 |
| 1881 | 15.99 |
| 1880 | 16.28 |
| 1879 | 16.36 |
| 1878 | 15.63 |
| 1877 | 16.17 |
| 1876 | 16.32 |
| 1875 | 16.66 |
| 1874 | 16.83 |
| 1873 | 16.67 |
| 1872 | 16.83 |
| 1871 | 15.37 |
| 1870 | 17.07 |
| 1869 | 17.01 |
| 1868 | 16.87 |
| 1867 | 16.85 |
| 1866 | 17.1 |
| 1865 | 16.11 |
| 1864 | 15.94 |
| 1863 | 16.43 |
| 1862 | 17.08 |
| 1861 | 17.27 |
| 1860 | 17.43 |
Good to know
- The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
- Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
China in numbers
Every measure for China on one page
Health
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Military
- Military spending1.73% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$335B in 2025
- Military spending per person$237 in 2025
- Military share of state spending5.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel2.54 million people in 2020
- Armed forces, share of workers0.33% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports207 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports880 million TIV in 2025