China vs Sri Lanka: Military spending as a share of government spending
China
5.1%
in 2025
Sri Lanka
4.9%
in 2025
China rank
85th
Sri Lanka rank
88th
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- China
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
China currently reports 5.1% against 4.9% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was China ahead.
China ranks 85th and Sri Lanka ranks 88th of 162 countries.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.4% | 14.4% | 0.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 14.1% | 4.0% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 5.7% | 11.9% | 6.1% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 7.1% | 2.1% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of government spending, China or Sri Lanka?
- China, at 5.1% against 4.9% in Sri Lanka as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between China and Sri Lanka?
- 0.2%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Sri Lanka?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do China and Sri Lanka rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- China ranks 85th and Sri Lanka ranks 88th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.