Military expenditure (current USD) in South Asia
South Asia: Military expenditure was 91.92 billion current USD in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
91.92 billion current USD
Change on year
up 4.8%
Rank
24th
of 44 groups
All-time high
91.92 billion current USD
in 2024
All-time low
698.42 million current USD
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Military expenditure in South Asia, 1960–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in current USD.
Analysis
In 2024, military expenditure in South Asia stood at 91.92 billion current USD. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.8% on the previous year and up 65.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in South Asia peaked at 91.92 billion current USD in 2024 and was at its lowest, 698.42 million current USD, in 1960.
South Asia ranks 24th of 44 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure in South Asia, year by year
| Year | current USD | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 698.42 million current USD | — |
| 1961 | 765.47 million current USD | +9.6% |
| 1962 | 1.08 billion current USD | +41.3% |
| 1963 | 1.81 billion current USD | +67.3% |
| 1964 | 2.00 billion current USD | +10.6% |
| 1965 | 2.14 billion current USD | +7.0% |
| 1966 | 1.68 billion current USD | -21.7% |
| 1967 | 1.50 billion current USD | -10.3% |
| 1968 | 1.60 billion current USD | +6.5% |
| 1969 | 1.71 billion current USD | +6.6% |
| 1970 | 1.86 billion current USD | +8.9% |
| 1971 | 2.29 billion current USD | +23.4% |
| 1972 | 2.50 billion current USD | +9.2% |
| 1973 | 2.61 billion current USD | +4.3% |
| 1974 | 3.00 billion current USD | +15.1% |
| 1975 | 3.45 billion current USD | +14.7% |
| 1976 | 3.44 billion current USD | -0.3% |
| 1977 | 3.65 billion current USD | +6.1% |
| 1978 | 4.15 billion current USD | +13.7% |
| 1979 | 4.77 billion current USD | +15.0% |
| 1980 | 5.64 billion current USD | +18.2% |
| 1981 | 6.10 billion current USD | +8.2% |
| 1982 | 6.54 billion current USD | +7.1% |
| 1983 | 7.14 billion current USD | +9.2% |
| 1984 | 7.29 billion current USD | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 8.01 billion current USD | +10.0% |
| 1986 | 9.99 billion current USD | +24.7% |
| 1987 | 11.43 billion current USD | +14.4% |
| 1988 | 11.88 billion current USD | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 11.13 billion current USD | -6.3% |
| 1990 | 11.13 billion current USD | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 9.32 billion current USD | -16.3% |
| 1992 | 8.88 billion current USD | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 9.12 billion current USD | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 9.90 billion current USD | +8.6% |
| 1995 | 11.18 billion current USD | +12.9% |
| 1996 | 11.35 billion current USD | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 12.89 billion current USD | +13.5% |
| 1998 | 13.40 billion current USD | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 15.31 billion current USD | +14.3% |
| 2000 | 15.90 billion current USD | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 16.05 billion current USD | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 16.09 billion current USD | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 17.70 billion current USD | +10.0% |
| 2004 | 21.76 billion current USD | +22.9% |
| 2005 | 24.65 billion current USD | +13.3% |
| 2006 | 25.73 billion current USD | +4.4% |
| 2007 | 30.43 billion current USD | +18.3% |
| 2008 | 35.73 billion current USD | +17.4% |
| 2009 | 41.71 billion current USD | +16.7% |
| 2010 | 49.50 billion current USD | +18.7% |
| 2011 | 53.47 billion current USD | +8.0% |
| 2012 | 50.77 billion current USD | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 51.33 billion current USD | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 55.51 billion current USD | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 56.49 billion current USD | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 61.98 billion current USD | +9.7% |
| 2017 | 70.13 billion current USD | +13.2% |
| 2018 | 71.98 billion current USD | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 77.81 billion current USD | +8.1% |
| 2020 | 79.51 billion current USD | +2.2% |
| 2021 | 83.19 billion current USD | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 85.65 billion current USD | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 87.68 billion current USD | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 91.92 billion current USD | +4.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military expenditure in South Asia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +67.3% | 1.08 billion current USD | 1.81 billion current USD |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.50 billion current USD | 698.42 million current USD | 2.14 billion current USD | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.17 billion current USD | 1.86 billion current USD | 4.77 billion current USD | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.51 billion current USD | 5.64 billion current USD | 11.88 billion current USD | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.25 billion current USD | 8.88 billion current USD | 15.31 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.57 billion current USD | 15.90 billion current USD | 41.71 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.90 billion current USD | 49.50 billion current USD | 77.81 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.59 billion current USD | 79.51 billion current USD | 91.92 billion current USD | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
- 21 Algeria 21.81 billion current USD compare
- 22 Brazil 20.95 billion current USD compare
- 23 Mexico 16.73 billion current USD compare
- 24 Qatar 15.41 billion current USD compare
- 25 Colombia 15.10 billion current USD compare
- 26 Singapore 15.06 billion current USD compare
- 27 Sweden 12.04 billion current USD compare
More public sector data for South Asia
- Arms imports 1.26 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.7506 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -19.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 1.26 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 54.8 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0211 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 4.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 91.92 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 467.61 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in South Asia?
- Military expenditure in South Asia was 91.92 billion current USD in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 91.92 billion current USD in 2024.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 698.42 million current USD in 1960.
- How does South Asia rank for military expenditure?
- South Asia ranks 24th out of 44 groups with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (current USD). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)