Brunei vs South Asia: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Brunei
3.7%
in 2024
South Asia
2.1%
in 2025
Brunei rank
19th
South Asia rank
19th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Brunei
- South Asia
How they compare
Brunei currently reports 3.7% against 2.1% in South Asia, a difference of 1.6%.
That makes Brunei's figure about 1.7 times South Asia's.
The two have swapped places 10 times across 54 shared years of data; in 1971 it was Brunei ahead.
Brunei ranks 19th and South Asia ranks 19th of 167 countries.
Brunei has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brunei | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.1% | 3.1% | 1.0% | Brunei |
| 1980s | 4.0% | 3.3% | 0.7% | Brunei |
| 1990s | 6.3% | 2.6% | 3.7% | Brunei |
| 2000s | 3.0% | 2.7% | 0.4% | Brunei |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 0.3% | Brunei |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.3% | 1.0% | Brunei |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Brunei or South Asia?
- Brunei, at 3.7% against 2.1% in South Asia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Brunei and South Asia?
- 1.6%, with Brunei ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brunei and South Asia?
- 54 years are reported by both, from 1971 to 2024.
- How do Brunei and South Asia rank globally for military expenditure?
- Brunei ranks 19th and South Asia ranks 19th of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product