Russia flew 17 orbital launches in 2025, 1.9 times fewer than in 2014
Russia's military spending rose from 4.1% to 7.1% of GDP over the same years (2024). China flew 92 launches in 2025; one company, SpaceX, flew 170.
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Russia launches to orbit less often than in 2014, while China and SpaceX launch many times more. Over the same years Russia spent a much larger share of its economy on the military. These are two series side by side, not one explaining the other.
Bars: orbital launches in a year: Russia in 2014 (its most between 2005 and 2015) and in 2025, China and SpaceX in 2025.
- Russia: Orbital launches launches a year
2014: 32
GCAT — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (J. McDowell)
- Russia: Orbital launches launches a year
2025: 17
GCAT — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (J. McDowell)
- China: Orbital launches launches a year
2025: 92
GCAT — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (J. McDowell)
- United States: SpaceX orbital launches launches a year
2025: 170
GCAT — General Catalog of Artificial Space Objects (J. McDowell)
- Russia: Military expenditure % of GDP
2014: 4.1
- Russia: Military expenditure % of GDP
2024: 7.1
Jonathan McDowell's GCAT catalogue: orbital launches, successful or not, by the rocket's country; SpaceX is operator SPX. Military spending: SIPRI via the World Bank, percent of GDP.
SpaceX launches are part of US launches. Russia here is the Russian Federation from 1992; Soviet launches are not in Russia's series. Coinciding in time says nothing of cause: the launch count depends on orders, rockets and much else.
A question for this picture
How many launches did the USSR make in its record year?