European Union vs Syria: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
European Union
2.2%
in 2025
Syria
4.1%
in 2010
European Union rank
18th
Syria rank
16th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- European Union
- Syria
How they compare
Syria currently reports 4.1% against 2.2% in European Union, a difference of 1.9%.
That makes Syria's figure about 1.9 times European Union's.
Across all 50 years both countries report, Syria has been ahead every year.
European Union ranks 18th and Syria ranks 16th of 45 groups.
Syria has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | European Union | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.6% | 10.0% | 6.4% | Syria |
| 1970s | 2.8% | 13.4% | 10.6% | Syria |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 13.8% | 11.1% | Syria |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 7.1% | 5.2% | Syria |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 4.9% | 3.4% | Syria |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 4.1% | 2.6% | Syria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, European Union or Syria?
- Syria, at 4.1% against 2.2% in European Union as of 2010.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between European Union and Syria?
- 1.9%, with Syria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and Syria?
- 50 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2010.
- How do European Union and Syria rank globally for military expenditure?
- European Union ranks 18th and Syria ranks 16th of 45 groups.
- 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