China vs Spain: Military spending per armed forces personnel
China
100,945 constant 2024 US$
in 2020
Spain
99,005 constant 2024 US$
in 2020
China rank
34th
Spain rank
35th
Military spending per armed forces personnel over time
- China
- Spain
How they compare
China currently reports 100,945 constant 2024 US$ against 99,005 constant 2024 US$ in Spain, a difference of 1,940 constant 2024 US$.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 32 shared years of data; in 1989 it was Spain ahead.
China ranks 34th and Spain ranks 35th of 160 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5,104 constant 2024 US$ | 69,970 constant 2024 US$ | 64,866 constant 2024 US$ | Spain |
| 1990s | 7,838 constant 2024 US$ | 75,514 constant 2024 US$ | 67,676 constant 2024 US$ | Spain |
| 2000s | 22,821 constant 2024 US$ | 91,981 constant 2024 US$ | 69,160 constant 2024 US$ | Spain |
| 2010s | 67,211 constant 2024 US$ | 91,522 constant 2024 US$ | 24,312 constant 2024 US$ | Spain |
| 2020s | 100,945 constant 2024 US$ | 99,005 constant 2024 US$ | 1,940 constant 2024 US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending per armed forces personnel, China or Spain?
- China, at 100,945 constant 2024 US$ against 99,005 constant 2024 US$ in Spain as of 2020.
- What is the difference in military spending per armed forces personnel between China and Spain?
- 1,940 constant 2024 US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Spain?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2020.
- How do China and Spain rank globally for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- China ranks 34th and Spain ranks 35th of 160 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending per armed forces personnel. 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 armed forces personnel. 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.