Military expenditure as a share of government spending in China
China: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 5.12 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
5.12
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
85th
of 162 countries
All-time high
16.87
in 1992
All-time low
4.88
in 2022
Years of data
37
1989–2025
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in China, 1989–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure as a share of government spending in China is 5.12, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in China peaked at 16.87 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 4.88, in 2022.
China ranks 85th of 162 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 13.21 | — |
| 1990 | 13.75 | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 14.25 | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 16.87 | +18.3% |
| 1993 | 14.8 | -12.3% |
| 1994 | 14.09 | -4.8% |
| 1995 | 15.16 | +7.6% |
| 1996 | 14.95 | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 14.1 | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 13.06 | -7.4% |
| 1999 | 12.52 | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 11.34 | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 11.42 | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 11.19 | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 10.97 | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 10.88 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 10.23 | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 10.19 | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 9.63 | -5.5% |
| 2008 | 7.65 | -20.6% |
| 2009 | 7.4 | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 6.97 | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 6.17 | -11.5% |
| 2012 | 6.04 | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 5.97 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 5.99 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 5.6 | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 5.48 | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 5.26 | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 5.05 | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 4.91 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 4.9 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 4.93 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 4.88 | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 4.95 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 5.05 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | 5.12 | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.21 | 13.21 | 13.21 | 1 |
| 1990s | 14.35 | 12.52 | 16.87 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.09 | 7.4 | 11.42 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.74 | 4.91 | 6.97 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.97 | 4.88 | 5.12 | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in China?
- Military expenditure as a share of government spending in China was 5.12 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 16.87 in 1992.
- What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.88 in 2022.
- How does China rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
- China ranks 85th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Military expenditure as a share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).