This statistic shows the official defense spending as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) in China from 2008 to 2023. In 2023, China's official defense budget amounted to around *** percent of the GDP.
Figures are based on the official Chinese annual military budget. According to international public research institutions, in 2023, actual military-related spending might be at least 40 to 90 percent higher than stated in the official budget.
Figures prior to 2019 were taken from the 2019 China Military Power Report, page 21, published by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.
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US Department of Defense. (December 18, 2024). Expenditure on national defense as a share of GDP in China from 2008 to 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 28, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/958596/china-defense-spending-as-a-share-of-dgp/
US Department of Defense. "Expenditure on national defense as a share of GDP in China from 2008 to 2023." Chart. December 18, 2024. Statista. Accessed June 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/958596/china-defense-spending-as-a-share-of-dgp/
US Department of Defense. (2024). Expenditure on national defense as a share of GDP in China from 2008 to 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/958596/china-defense-spending-as-a-share-of-dgp/
US Department of Defense. "Expenditure on National Defense as a Share of Gdp in China from 2008 to 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 18 Dec 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/958596/china-defense-spending-as-a-share-of-dgp/
US Department of Defense, Expenditure on national defense as a share of GDP in China from 2008 to 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/958596/china-defense-spending-as-a-share-of-dgp/ (last visited June 28, 2025)
Expenditure on national defense as a share of GDP in China from 2008 to 2023 [Graph], US Department of Defense, December 18, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/958596/china-defense-spending-as-a-share-of-dgp/
