China vs Russia: Military spending
China
349.48 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2023
Russia
120.26 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2023
China rank
2nd
Russia rank
3rd
Military spending over time
- China
- Russia
How they compare
China currently reports 349.48 billion constant 2022 US$ against 120.26 billion constant 2022 US$ in Russia, a difference of 229.22 billion constant 2022 US$.
That makes China's figure about 2.9 times Russia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 164 shared years of data; in 1860 it was Russia ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 3rd of 172 countries.
Across the 17 decades both report, China averaged higher in 3 and Russia in 14.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 40.15 million constant 2022 US$ | 2.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1870s | 51.32 million constant 2022 US$ | 3.67 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.62 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1880s | 71.13 million constant 2022 US$ | 2.98 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.91 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1890s | 409.63 million constant 2022 US$ | 4.58 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1900s | 1.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | 8.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | 7.24 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1910s | 1.85 billion constant 2022 US$ | 34.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | 32.80 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1920s | 2.13 billion constant 2022 US$ | 21.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | 19.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1930s | 2.33 billion constant 2022 US$ | 60.73 billion constant 2022 US$ | 58.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1940s | 5.57 billion constant 2022 US$ | 114.32 billion constant 2022 US$ | 108.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1950s | 32.61 billion constant 2022 US$ | 202.38 billion constant 2022 US$ | 169.76 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1960s | 67.03 billion constant 2022 US$ | 300.59 billion constant 2022 US$ | 233.56 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1970s | 106.43 billion constant 2022 US$ | 430.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | 323.91 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1980s | 49.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | 444.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | 394.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 1990s | 42.09 billion constant 2022 US$ | 115.79 billion constant 2022 US$ | 73.69 billion constant 2022 US$ | Russia |
| 2000s | 75.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | 52.70 billion constant 2022 US$ | 23.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | China |
| 2010s | 171.12 billion constant 2022 US$ | 67.36 billion constant 2022 US$ | 103.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | China |
| 2020s | 322.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | 98.21 billion constant 2022 US$ | 224.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, China or Russia?
- China, at 349.48 billion constant 2022 US$ against 120.26 billion constant 2022 US$ in Russia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in military spending between China and Russia?
- 229.22 billion constant 2022 US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Russia?
- 164 years are reported by both, from 1860 to 2023.
- How do China and Russia rank globally for military spending?
- China ranks 2nd and Russia ranks 3rd of 172 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.