BEIJING, March 5 (Xinhua) -- China's defense budget growth is expected to slow to 7 percent in 2026, according to a draft report submitted to the national legislature for review on Thursday.

It marks the 11th consecutive year of single-digit growth for China's defense budget. The figure stayed at 7.2 percent for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

According to the draft 2026 budget report, roughly 1.9 trillion yuan (about 275 billion U.S. dollars) will be allocated to national defense.

China's defense spending remains comparatively modest across key relative indicators, including its share of GDP, per capita defense expenditure, and defense expenditure per military personnel. ■