Kuwait vs United Arab Emirates: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Kuwait
4.7%
in 2025
United Arab Emirates
5.6%
in 2014
Kuwait rank
13th
United Arab Emirates rank
12th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Kuwait
- United Arab Emirates
How they compare
United Arab Emirates currently reports 5.6% against 4.7% in Kuwait, a difference of 0.9%.
That makes United Arab Emirates's figure about 1.2 times Kuwait's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 18 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Kuwait ahead.
Kuwait ranks 13th and United Arab Emirates ranks 12th of 167 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Kuwait averaged higher in 2 and United Arab Emirates in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kuwait | United Arab Emirates | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.2% | 7.7% | 0.5% | Kuwait |
| 2000s | 5.3% | 4.7% | 0.6% | Kuwait |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 5.7% | 2.1% | United Arab Emirates |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Kuwait or United Arab Emirates?
- United Arab Emirates, at 5.6% against 4.7% in Kuwait as of 2014.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Kuwait and United Arab Emirates?
- 0.9%, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kuwait and United Arab Emirates?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2014.
- How do Kuwait and United Arab Emirates rank globally for military expenditure?
- Kuwait ranks 13th and United Arab Emirates ranks 12th 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