Libya vs South Asia: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Libya
3.6%
in 2023
South Asia
2.1%
in 2025
Libya rank
21st
South Asia rank
19th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Libya
- South Asia
How they compare
Libya currently reports 3.6% against 2.1% in South Asia, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes Libya's figure about 1.7 times South Asia's.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 40 shared years of data; in 1960 it was South Asia ahead.
Libya ranks 21st and South Asia ranks 19th of 167 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Libya averaged higher in 4 and South Asia in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Libya | South Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.6% | 3.1% | 0.5% | South Asia |
| 1970s | 3.6% | 3.1% | 0.5% | Libya |
| 1980s | 2.1% | 2.9% | 0.8% | South Asia |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 2.7% | 1.3% | Libya |
| 2000s | 1.8% | 2.6% | 0.9% | South Asia |
| 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?
- Libya, at 3.6% against 2.1% in South Asia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Libya and South Asia?
- 1.5%, with Libya ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and South Asia?
- 40 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2023.
- How do Libya and South Asia rank globally for military expenditure?
- Libya ranks 21st and South Asia 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product