China vs United States: Military spending
China
335.02 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
United States
929.16 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
China rank
2nd
United States rank
1st
Military spending over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 929.16 billion constant 2024 US$ against 335.02 billion constant 2024 US$ in China, a difference of 594.14 billion constant 2024 US$.
That makes United States's figure about 2.8 times China's.
Across all 37 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 162 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 19.91 billion constant 2024 US$ | 814.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | 794.55 billion constant 2024 US$ | United States |
| 1990s | 27.55 billion constant 2024 US$ | 641.57 billion constant 2024 US$ | 614.02 billion constant 2024 US$ | United States |
| 2000s | 76.18 billion constant 2024 US$ | 800.72 billion constant 2024 US$ | 724.54 billion constant 2024 US$ | United States |
| 2010s | 187.96 billion constant 2024 US$ | 913.10 billion constant 2024 US$ | 725.14 billion constant 2024 US$ | United States |
| 2020s | 288.63 billion constant 2024 US$ | 946.07 billion constant 2024 US$ | 657.45 billion constant 2024 US$ | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, China or United States?
- United States, at 929.16 billion constant 2024 US$ against 335.02 billion constant 2024 US$ in China as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending between China and United States?
- 594.14 billion constant 2024 US$, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for military spending?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st 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.