Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Bolivia
Bolivia: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 1.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
1.2%
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
114th
of 167 countries
All-time high
3.9%
in 1981
All-time low
1.0%
in 2022
Years of data
61
1961–2025
Military expenditure in Bolivia, 1961–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Bolivia recorded 1.2% for military expenditure in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 31.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Bolivia peaked at 3.9% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2022.
Bolivia ranks 114th of 167 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Bolivia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.2% | — |
| 1962 | 1.2% | -3.7% |
| 1963 | 1.3% | +14.5% |
| 1968 | 1.4% | +1.8% |
| 1969 | 1.3% | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 1.6% | +22.3% |
| 1971 | 1.4% | -13.7% |
| 1972 | 1.6% | +14.7% |
| 1973 | 1.6% | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 1.8% | +13.2% |
| 1975 | 2.4% | +29.1% |
| 1976 | 2.4% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 2.2% | -5.1% |
| 1978 | 2.6% | +15.6% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 3.2% | +17.1% |
| 1981 | 3.9% | +23.0% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | -49.2% |
| 1983 | 1.5% | -24.3% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | +44.8% |
| 1985 | 2.0% | -7.2% |
| 1986 | 2.3% | +16.5% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | -15.0% |
| 1989 | 2.2% | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | +30.6% |
| 1991 | 2.7% | -4.5% |
| 1992 | 2.5% | -6.8% |
| 1993 | 1.9% | -23.5% |
| 1994 | 2.3% | +17.4% |
| 1995 | 2.1% | -6.8% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | -5.2% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | +14.4% |
| 1998 | 2.7% | +18.4% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | -20.7% |
| 2000 | 2.1% | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | +12.5% |
| 2002 | 2.0% | -14.2% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | +7.8% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | -11.6% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | -9.5% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -14.6% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | +47.3% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | -19.7% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | +58.1% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | -39.5% |
| 2012 | 1.8% | +9.6% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | -13.0% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 1.5% | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -3.0% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -4.1% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | -4.8% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -26.6% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +34.0% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -6.1% |
| 2025 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
Bolivia compared with similar countries
- Bolivia's 1.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.5%, 83% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Bolivia's 1.2% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.0%, 1.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 5 |
| 1970s | 2.0% | 1.4% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.4% | 1.5% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bolivia
More public sector data for Bolivia
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 0 SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -23.53 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Bolivia?
- Military expenditure in Bolivia was 1.2% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Bolivia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 1981.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Bolivia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2022.
- How does Bolivia rank for military expenditure?
- Bolivia ranks 114th out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Bolivia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bolivia data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product