Iran vs Low & middle income: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Iran
11.2%
in 2025
Low & middle income
5.8%
in 2024
Iran rank
28th
Low & middle income rank
29th
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) over time
- Iran
- Low & middle income
How they compare
Iran currently reports 11.2% against 5.8% in Low & middle income, a difference of 5.4%.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.9 times Low & middle income's.
Across all 26 years both countries report, Iran has been ahead every year.
Iran ranks 28th and Low & middle income ranks 29th of 164 countries.
Iran has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Low & middle income | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.6% | 9.9% | 2.7% | Iran |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 7.8% | 6.1% | Iran |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 5.9% | 9.6% | Iran |
| 2020s | 13.9% | 5.6% | 8.3% | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Iran or Low & middle income?
- Iran, at 11.2% against 5.8% in Low & middle income as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Iran and Low & middle income?
- 5.4%, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Low & middle income?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2024.
- How do Iran and Low & middle income rank globally for military expenditure?
- Iran ranks 28th and Low & middle income ranks 29th 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