Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Congo
Congo: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 1.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Congo, 1970–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in Congo stood at 1.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.2% on the previous year and down 66.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Congo peaked at 5.0% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2024.
That places Congo 109th out of 167 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Congo, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.9% | — |
| 1971 | 4.6% | -5.4% |
| 1972 | 3.5% | -23.3% |
| 1973 | 4.2% | +19.6% |
| 1974 | 4.2% | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 4.5% | +6.1% |
| 1976 | 4.7% | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 5.0% | +4.7% |
| 1978 | 4.3% | -12.8% |
| 1979 | 4.4% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 3.4% | -23.4% |
| 1981 | 3.2% | -5.3% |
| 1982 | 3.3% | +5.0% |
| 1984 | 2.3% | -32.6% |
| 1985 | 2.6% | +14.3% |
| 1987 | 4.4% | +69.9% |
| 1992 | 3.8% | -12.5% |
| 1993 | 3.6% | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | -50.8% |
| 2002 | 2.1% | +18.5% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | +14.5% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -37.8% |
| 2006 | 1.6% | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 1.9% | +22.1% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | -6.6% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | +23.0% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | +92.7% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | +16.6% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | -30.8% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | -37.7% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 2.6% | +21.2% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | -10.0% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -18.5% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +5.4% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -38.7% |
| 2025 | 1.3% | +6.2% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 1.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.5%, 90% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Congo's 1.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.3%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.4% | 3.5% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.3% | 4.4% | 6 |
| 1990s | 3.7% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.9% | 1.5% | 2.4% | 8 |
| 2010s | 2.8% | 1.7% | 4.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More public sector data for Congo
- 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 9.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.5091 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -66.67 % change on previous year (2015)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Congo?
- Military expenditure in Congo was 1.3% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 5.0% in 1977.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2024.
- How does Congo rank for military expenditure?
- Congo ranks 109th out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo 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