Bahrain vs Iran: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Bahrain
10.8%
in 2025
Iran
11.2%
in 2025
Bahrain rank
30th
Iran rank
28th
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- Bahrain
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports 11.2% against 10.8% in Bahrain, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Iran ahead.
Bahrain ranks 30th and Iran ranks 28th of 164 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Bahrain averaged higher in 2 and Iran in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bahrain | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.6% | 10.6% | 6.0% | Bahrain |
| 2000s | 14.2% | 13.9% | 0.4% | Bahrain |
| 2010s | 12.5% | 15.5% | 3.0% | Iran |
| 2020s | 11.3% | 13.4% | 2.1% | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Bahrain or Iran?
- Iran, at 11.2% against 10.8% in Bahrain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Bahrain and Iran?
- 0.4%, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bahrain and Iran?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Bahrain and Iran rank globally for military expenditure?
- Bahrain ranks 30th and Iran ranks 28th of 164 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure