Libya vs Low & middle income: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Libya
3.6%
in 2023
Low & middle income
1.9%
in 2025
Libya rank
21st
Low & middle income rank
24th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Libya
- Low & middle income
How they compare
Libya currently reports 3.6% against 1.9% in Low & middle income, a difference of 1.7%.
That makes Libya's figure about 1.9 times Low & middle income's.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 39 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Low & middle income ahead.
Libya ranks 21st and Low & middle income ranks 24th of 167 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Libya averaged higher in 4 and Low & middle income in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Libya | Low & middle income | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.7% | 2.8% | 0.1% | Low & middle income |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 3.4% | 0.2% | Libya |
| 1980s | 2.1% | 3.0% | 0.9% | Low & middle income |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 1.9% | 2.1% | Libya |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.1% | Low & middle income |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 1.7% | 3.3% | Libya |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 1.7% | 1.5% | Libya |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Libya or Low & middle income?
- Libya, at 3.6% against 1.9% in Low & middle income as of 2023.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Libya and Low & middle income?
- 1.7%, with Libya ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and Low & middle income?
- 39 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Libya and Low & middle income rank globally for military expenditure?
- Libya ranks 21st and Low & middle income ranks 24th 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