China vs India: Military spending
China
335.02 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
India
93.25 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
China rank
2nd
India rank
5th
Military spending over time
- China
- India
How they compare
China currently reports 335.02 billion constant 2024 US$ against 93.25 billion constant 2024 US$ in India, a difference of 241.76 billion constant 2024 US$.
That makes China's figure about 3.6 times India's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 37 shared years of data; in 1989 it was India ahead.
China ranks 2nd and India ranks 5th of 162 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and India in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | India | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 19.91 billion constant 2024 US$ | 22.19 billion constant 2024 US$ | 2.29 billion constant 2024 US$ | India |
| 1990s | 27.55 billion constant 2024 US$ | 23.56 billion constant 2024 US$ | 3.99 billion constant 2024 US$ | China |
| 2000s | 76.18 billion constant 2024 US$ | 40.44 billion constant 2024 US$ | 35.74 billion constant 2024 US$ | China |
| 2010s | 187.96 billion constant 2024 US$ | 64.51 billion constant 2024 US$ | 123.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | China |
| 2020s | 288.63 billion constant 2024 US$ | 84.54 billion constant 2024 US$ | 204.09 billion constant 2024 US$ | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, China or India?
- China, at 335.02 billion constant 2024 US$ against 93.25 billion constant 2024 US$ in India as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending between China and India?
- 241.76 billion constant 2024 US$, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and India?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2025.
- How do China and India rank globally for military spending?
- China ranks 2nd and India ranks 5th 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. 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.