Which has higher military expenditure, Libya or South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?

Libya, at 3.6% against 2.1% in South Asia (IDA & IBRD) as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?

40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2023.

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.

Libya vs South Asia (IDA & IBRD): Military expenditure (% of GDP)

Libya

3.6%

in 2023

South Asia (IDA & IBRD)

2.1%

in 2025

Libya rank

21st

South Asia (IDA & IBRD) rank

19th

Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time

Libya
South Asia (IDA & IBRD)

How they compare

Libya currently reports 3.6% against 2.1% in South Asia (IDA & IBRD), a difference of 1.5%.

That makes Libya's figure about 1.7 times South Asia (IDA & IBRD)'s.

The two have swapped places 11 times across 40 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Asia (IDA & IBRD) ahead.

Libya ranks 21st and South Asia (IDA & IBRD) ranks 19th of 167 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Libya averaged higher in 4 and South Asia (IDA & IBRD) in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Libya	South Asia (IDA & IBRD)	Difference	Ahead
1960s	2.6%	3.1%	0.5%	South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
1970s	3.6%	3.1%	0.5%	Libya
1980s	2.1%	2.9%	0.8%	South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
1990s	3.9%	2.7%	1.3%	Libya
2000s	1.8%	2.6%	0.9%	South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
2010s	5.0%	2.5%	2.6%	Libya
2020s	3.2%	2.2%	1.0%	Libya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military expenditure, Libya or South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?: Libya, at 3.6% against 2.1% in South Asia (IDA & IBRD) as of 2023.
What is the difference in military expenditure between Libya and South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?: 1.5%, with Libya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?: 40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2023.
How do Libya and South Asia (IDA & IBRD) rank globally for military expenditure?: Libya ranks 21st and South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 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.

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Libya vs South Asia (IDA & IBRD): Military expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 08 November 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/military-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/libya/south-asia-ida-and-ibrd/

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<a href="https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/military-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/libya/south-asia-ida-and-ibrd/">Libya vs South Asia (IDA & IBRD): Military expenditure</a> — Statizoid

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: 212 places, 10,887 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed: 29 October 2026

Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product