Which has higher military expenditure, France or Iran, Islamic Republic of?

France, at 2.1% against 2.0% in Iran, Islamic Republic of as of 2024.

How many years of comparable data are there for France and Iran, Islamic Republic of?

65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.

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.

France vs Iran, Islamic Republic of: Military expenditure

France

2.1%

in 2024

Iran, Islamic Republic of

2.0%

in 2024

France rank

63rd

Iran, Islamic Republic of rank

66th

Military expenditure over time

France
Iran, Islamic Republic of

How they compare

France currently reports 2.1% against 2.0% in Iran, Islamic Republic of, a difference of 0.1%.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was France ahead.

France ranks 63rd and Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 66th of 165 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, France averaged higher in 2 and Iran, Islamic Republic of in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade	France	Iran, Islamic Republic of	Difference	Ahead
1960s	4.6%	3.5%	1.1%	France
1970s	3.2%	7.2%	4.0%	Iran, Islamic Republic of
1980s	3.1%	6.4%	3.3%	Iran, Islamic Republic of
1990s	2.6%	2.3%	0.3%	France
2000s	2.0%	2.7%	0.7%	Iran, Islamic Republic of
2010s	1.9%	2.5%	0.6%	Iran, Islamic Republic of
2020s	2.0%	2.2%	0.2%	Iran, Islamic Republic of

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military expenditure, France or Iran, Islamic Republic of?: France, at 2.1% against 2.0% in Iran, Islamic Republic of as of 2024.
What is the difference in military expenditure between France and Iran, Islamic Republic of?: 0.1%, with France ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for France and Iran, Islamic Republic of?: 65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do France and Iran, Islamic Republic of rank globally for military expenditure?: France ranks 63rd and Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 66th of 165 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.

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France vs Iran, Islamic Republic of: Military expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/military-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/france/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Unit: % of GDP
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 210 places, 10,550 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product